Cleaning Pools
by Rebeliz777
Summary: In the Summer before senior year Quinn and Puck decide to start a cleaning pool business that leads them to have the most memorable summer in their lives, while Rachel Berry decides that she can't keep going through life waiting for better things to happen, she has to make it happen. G!P Quinn
1. Experience comes in handy

**Cleaning Pools.**

**1. Experience comes in handy **

"Good morning Mrs. Lopez" said Puck and Quinn in unison gaining a chuckle from said lady.

"Hi kids, come in" Mrs. Lopez left the door open and walked inside. Both teens followed her after a moment of realizing that _that_ was their cue to enter. With a knowing stare the best friends smiled as they appreciated the sight in front of them. They've never seen Mrs. Lopez out of her pencil skirts and formal blouses, and now as she guided them through the house wearing shorts and a black top neither could stop looking at her body.

And what a body the lady had! Quinn could definitely see where Santana got her killer curves from; her mom was incredibly well conserved. But besides the long legs, the shiny hair that fell on her back, the tiny waist or even the round hips, nothing compared to way the woman was walking and how her muscles clenched with each confident step that she took.

It wasn't difficult to notice the way Mrs. Lopez was swinging her hips with force. Quinn didn't need to be a genius to know that the lady was being a tease, she was playing them, letting them know that they couldn't have what they were seeing but they sure could appreciate it.

"How did you kids start the business?" Quinn tripped on her own feet at hearing the voice but she managed to stand up straight and punch Puck in the arm before she kept walking.

"We just needed to stay busy in the summer and we got these tools collecting dust in my backyard" Quinn answered.

"We thought we'd put them to good use" Puck finished but to his horror Mrs. Lopez' eyes weren't focusing on him. The woman had her eyes trained on his blond friend and Puck wondered for the first time how dauntless was Mrs. Lopez if she wanted to keep playing that little teasing game?

He knew Quinn never relented when she was presented with a challenge and Mrs. Lopez would be the biggest of challenges. She was a mom!

"But you're our first" Quinn said and this time Mrs. Lopez stopped to really look at the teen. The nerve of the girl!

"Is that so?" she asked as she roamed her eyes on Quinn's body with the whole intention of showing the girl her place. The teen didn't even have a clue of what she was getting herself into. Jennifer was a pro in these games, she had invented them long ago and there was no way that Judy's kid was going to intimidate her now.

For a moment Quinn was taken aback. Mrs. Lopez' voice was really starting to get to her. She sounded like liquid sex and she was afraid she was going to start growing if the woman didn't stop invading her personal space.

"It is" she chock out but at the sight of Mrs. Lopez' smirk Quinn stopped feeling shy and wanted to huff in annoyance. Somehow she controlled herself from doing it. Sure, the lady was older and Quinn couldn't imagine the experience she had against her but Quinn was no virgin or naïve either. So, taking a deep breath Quinn stepped forward as well and triumphantly watched Mrs. Lopez take a step back, surprised.

"Come on, follow me" Mrs. Lopez finally smiled and turned around to continue guiding the kids to the backyard as Puck hit Quinn's shoulder and both tried hard not to laugh at what just happened.

Santana's mom was definitely in for something, whether she was just playing or not, the kids didn't know.

"There you go" said the lady as she opened the crystal doors and revealed the huge back yard that contained a considerable pool, a bar on the left corner and three cabins on the back.

Quinn always liked this backyard and when she was kind of dating Santana she always made the effort to convince her to throw parties here because it was just amazing.

"Don't worry Mrs. Lopez, we got this" Puck winked at the lady and received a smile in return but her attention didn't linger on the boy as her eyes trailed back to Quinn. Puck was kind of disappointed.

There is a moment, as Mrs. Lopez stares at the girl that Quinn realizes that the lady is no longer playing. What she had considered a game, wasn't a game at all and what should have scared her, actually makes her feel… powerful.

Unconsciously, Quinn licks her lips as her eyes fall to the lady's lips and then up to her eyes again and Mrs. Lopez practically loses her breath.

Jennifer Lopez happens to be a close friend of Quinn's mother, which is why she is aware of the girl's medical condition and even if she hadn't been, Quinn hasn't exactly been secretive with her uniqueness. She grew a penis when she was supposed to have her first period and if the fact bothered her at some point no one ever knew.

With Quinn being around a lot in her house because of Santana, Mrs. Lopez was used to see the girl but she has never been more curious about anything in her life since a couple of months ago when Quinn was swimming in the pool that was about to clean with only a pair of white boxers covering her lower regions, the white boxers didn't leave much to the imagination but that fact only incited Mrs. Lopez' curiosity more.

The girl had been… well-endowed to put it lightly and it had been years since her husband had touched her, Mrs. Lopez was about to have a stroke or something along those lines. She was honestly concerned with her well-being at this point. But alas, Jennifer was not an idiot. She knew Marcus was having an affair with his secretary and that's the only reason why she doesn't feel guilty for doing what she was doing right now.

They say that carnal instincts are the strongest a human being possesses and Jennifer was proving just that as she couldn't stop herself from moving close to the teen and place her hand on the girl's abs shamelessly. She felt muscles jump at the contact and she couldn't help to run her fingers along.

Quinn swore that she had fallen down and bumped her head on the pool's edge because this couldn't be happening.

"You can get started, I'll be right back" Mrs. Lopez suddenly announced and turned around to walk inside from where they had come out, leaving Quinn a hormonal mess and a laughing Puck behind.

"Are you okay?" the laughing boy asked his best friend.

"Shut up" Quinn responded as she tried her best to just relax. "I thought I was about to come in my pants or something" the both laughed hard at that.

Once the laughter had subsided, Puck took a deep breath as he recalled in his mind what had just happened. He wasn't blind either and Mrs. Lopez wasn't being exactly subtle but they were still seventeen and the woman was still Santana's mom. He was feeling nervous already in behalf of Quinn.

"I don't think she's playing" he commented.

"I don't she is either."

They shared an almost scared look as they picked up the tools and got to work, if only to distract their raging minds.

"Would you go for it?" Puck asked as an afterthought, Quinn shrugged as she ran her fingers through her short hair.

"She's Santana's mom" she said as her mind ran through all the times that Santana herself had used the same tricks on Quinn.

"So what?"

"I dated her if you don't remember" the boy rolled his eyes before coming closer to his best friend.

"What is the big deal?" he demanded.

"The big deal is that I dated Santana, you ass. I can't come in here and think about doing her mom"

"But her mom is _so fine_"

"Tell me about it."

The fell into a comfortable silence again, Puck lost in thought of Mrs. Lopez as Quinn remembered why Santana and she had broken up. It hadn't been a nice break up but their friendship had remained and now they were closer than they were when they were dating and Quinn would go as far as saying that Santana was her best friend following Puck and Santana would say the same if you asked her.

"But seriously" Puck continued, "would you go for it?"

Quinn couldn't deny that she felt more than attracted to Mrs. Lopez but there was still that little voice in her head that told her it was wrong to even think about it.

"I don't know" she admitted.

"You can't let this chance pass you by" Puck was growing desperate. If Mrs. Lopez was giving him the attention she was at Quinn, he wouldn't let it slip.

"Do you think Santana is home?" she asked now really considering what her best friend was saying. She could do it and it was starting to sound a little cowering of her to be acting like she needed convincing to _do_ a woman.

"She would have been here already, making fun of us for work in summer" Quinn nodded. She agreed with Puck, if Santana was home she would be there with them already for sure. But with the realization her hands started to sweat and her stomach felt funny. "Please don't tell me that you're freaking out" Puck asked her.

"I'm not" she was quick to deny but truth was that yes, she was freaking out big time. Mrs. Lopez was a woman, a lady and Quinn bet that the woman had expectations in bed, after all she had experience that Quinn could only dream about at the tender age of seventeen.

"Don't mess this up" Puck told her.

"It's juts – I've never been an older woman before" Puck rolled his eyes at Quinn's admission and hit her in the arm for good measure. Softly of course because Quinn was still a girl, it didn't matter what she had between her legs.

"A woman is a woman, don't matter how old they are and they all want the same thing" Puck said suggestively.

"And what is that?" Quinn chuckled as he grew serious.

"To feel wanted."

Sometimes Puck surprised her with his insights. He was a brute with girls most of the time but when he cared he made sure to show it and try his hardest. Quinn knew him well but it still took her off guard when he said something so pure and real.

"You're right" she finally said and Mrs. Lopez choose that exact moment to walk out into the backyard one more time and this time both teenagers couldn't hide their shock at seeing the lady.

Mrs. Lopez walked out wearing only a bikini suit, her hair pulled up in a tight bun above her head and a bottle of water in her hands. She didn't look at the teens as she made her way to the back where the cabins were as Quinn and Puck followed every step, their eyes trained on the tiny bikini that barely covered the woman's butt.

"I'm going to take the sun, I hope you don't mind" Mrs. Lopez said as she finally turned around to address the teens who only nodded their heads dumbly in response.

"If you don't tap that we're not friends anymore" Puck whispered in Quinn's ears before he picked up the discarded tools and pushed his best friend forward.

Quinn tumbled a few steps before she finally picked up her pace and got closer to the cabins where the woman was now resting on a chair. For a moment she just stared and marbled at the sight before her. Mrs. Lopez sure knew how to keep her figure because the closer Quinn looked, the better it seemed to get.

"Quinn?" the blonde looked up from the perfect thighs to find Mrs. Lopez staring at her with amusement in her dark eyes. "You're blocking the sun" the lady smiled.

"I don't want you getting sunburn" Quinn smiled back and reached out for the lotion sitting on a side of the chair.

"How considerate of you" Mrs. Lopez admitted as she made sure to keep eye contact with the teen. It was so easy to provoke a young person these days that she almost laughed, but she didn't want to scare the girl away and the game wasn't over just yet. "Would you mind?" she asked motioning to the lotion in Quinn's hand.

The blonde cleared her throat and rocked on her feet before she looked back up, "not at all."

Mrs. Lopez turned around to lay on her stomach as Quinn quickly poured lotion in her hands and rubbed it fast to warm it up before she finally had her hands pressed on the woman's waist. The woman gasped and Quinn knew that she should have started at the shoulders but she couldn't resist herself and she was growing aroused by the second. She didn't know how long she was going to be able to keep playing that little game.

She gave a gently squeeze to the lady's waist before she started to move her hands in slow circles, marveling at the way their skin tones mixed together thanks to the lotion. But she wasn't able to control her wondering hands from going lower until she was touching the woman's thighs that had previously caught her attention. They felt as soft under her fingerprints as she had imagined and she almost gasped at the realization of what she was doing.

She was actually touching Mrs. Lopez's thighs and trying not to come undone with the millions fantasies that were attacking her mind at the moment. In less than five minutes Quinn had lost her inhibitions and now she was deliberately aiming higher on the woman's thighs, but she stopped when she heard a moan and suddenly the body she's touching grew tense under her hands.

Quinn knew what was happening and the teen in her heart couldn't help to jump with pride in that moment. She moved her hands higher until she's touching the soft material of the bikini and she scratched it lightly until the woman groaned her response and didn't have another choice but to turn around and face the teenager.

Their eyes locked and Quinn leaned further until she was kissing the lady with propose. Her hands hadn't moved from their spot on Mrs. Lopez' thighs and as the woman returned the kiss hungrily the blonde aimed her hands higher until she was copping the warm center in one of her palms completely. The woman pulled back, finding difficult to breathe as she gripped the girl's shirt in her fists and eyed the backyard above Quinn's shoulder. Puck wasn't looking at them, he seemed busy but Mrs. Lopez didn't want to give any kind of show in her backyard anyway.

Quinn didn't waste her time though; her sneaky lips were now attached to the lady's glorious neck as she sucked on the skin there as her hands moved with rehearsed control over the woman's center.

"No, wait" Mrs. Lopez pushed Quinn lightly by the shoulders. As the girl looked up Mrs. Lopez almost let her do whatever she wanted in that same spot because the girl looked like a depredator ready to _eat_ her alive. "Not here" she managed to say and quickly took Quinn's hand to pull her inside the house and up the stairs to her bedroom.

Once inside the spacious bedroom Quinn grew nervous once again and it was visible. "Mrs. Lopez"

"Call me Jennifer"

"Jennifer"

"Shhh" the lady put a finger on her lips as she pushed the teen to sit on the edge of her bed. But Quinn couldn't even attempt to utter another word as Jennifer got on her knees and spread her legs open without breaking eye contact with her.

"What are you-" a loud moan left her lips as the lady cupped her through her jeans and then proceeded to undo the belt and button.

"Don't worry" Jennifer said as she lowered the zipper and -with the help of Quinn- pushed down the jeans. The blue boxers did nothing to cover Quinn's aroused state and Jennifer had to suppress a gasp of surprise at seeing the size of the girl.

"Are you going to blow me?" Quinn would have honestly slap herself if she could because of her lack of tact but her mind was honestly all over the place and having a woman like Jennifer on her knees as she inspected her dick wasn't exactly a good way to concentrate.

But Jennifer hissed a clear 'yes' in her direction and before Quinn could control herself, desperation quickly claimed her body. She couldn't wait to have some sort of release. She needed it, now.

"Fuck, you're gonna love it" she said as she pushed her boxers down her hips and grabbed a handful of Jennifer's long locks, "suck it" she ordered.

As Jennifer lost the battle between her body and mind and let herself by guided by desire, she opened her mouth as much as she could but the thick member of the girl still graced her teeth and filled her mouth completely. As Quinn's eyes rolled to the back of her head, Jennifer tried to suck on the red head as much as she could before swallowing again, but then Quinn got carried away and she wasn't waiting for Jennifer to swallow, and she started to thrust inside the woman's mouth, making her gag with each time that the cock touched the back of her throat.

With tears in her eyes Jennifer pushed against Quinn's thighs until the girl finally pulled out of her mouth and carried the woman to the middle of her king sized bed.

"Enough of your pretty little mouth" Quinn said before she ripped the bikini from Jennifer's body and got rid of her own clothes in record time. Jennifer only opened her eyes when she heard the sound of plastic and she saw Quinn opening a condom package.

"We don't need it" she breathlessly said and Quinn was more than eager to discard the piece of latex. "I don't want you holding back" Jennifer said as Quinn crawled between her open legs.

"I wasn't planning to" the teen said before her fingers took an exploratory trip down on Jennifer's slit. The woman gasped and gripped the sheets as Quinn spread her juices and played with clit before biting the woman's shoulder. "Look how wet you got from sucking me off, _Mrs. Lopez._"

But before Jennifer could think of an answer Quinn had pushed inside of her with all her force making the air leave her body in a loud scream.

Jennifer was no virgin but she had never felt something as what the girl above her was making her feel in that moment. She had never felt so full in her life. She knew that Quinn wasn't small –she had just given her a blowjob after all- but she felt twice as big inside of her that all coherent thought was quickly leaving the older' woman's mind.

Quinn on the other hand remained immobile. Her ex-girlfriends always complained about her size and she's learnt to give time to adjust before she made the first move but truth is, she's not sure how much longer she could wait because Jennifer felt amazing and she was pretty sure that her ego was playing a huge part in all of it as well. She wasn't just having sex with another cheerleader from school, this was an older woman, she was having sex with Santana's mom and she couldn't believe it.

"Can I…?" Quinn left the question in the air and Jennifer nodded her affirmative, her heart swelling at the thoughtfulness of the girl.

Quinn's thrusts were hard, fast and deep, and Jennifer was about to lose consciousness from it all. It had been so long since the last time that her husband had touched her and even longer since her last orgasm. She couldn't remember the last time that she actually enjoyed sex and Quinn was making her see stars behind her close eyelids, while making her feel like she was being split in half in the most delicious of way and the teen didn't seem to be stopping any time soon either.

Jennifer had forgotten how it felt like to have sex on her teen years and Quinn was making her feel like a teenager all over again, it was as if the pleasure was never ending.

Eventually she started to feel that pull on her lower stomach that indicated her she was about to come and she trapped Quinn in her arms and legs right before the girl pushed inside of her with force and she came with a loud scream. But the girl wasn't finished and as Jennifer's orgasm still traveled from her toes to head, another one hit her and then another before the girl on top of her finally started to slow down her thrusts.

As Jennifer tried to remain awake Quinn pulled out of her and lay on her side, her lips immediately kissing her lover's shoulder. A silly smile drew itself on the woman's lips as her vision turned clearer with each blink. When she finally brought her breathing to normal again she looked to her side where a smiling Quinn was waiting for her to be acknowledged.

"Wanna go again?" those were the last words that Jennifer remembered hearing Quinn say.

…


	2. White lies

Wow, that was quite a response you guys. Thank you for supporting this story as much as you have from the very beginning when I first published it two years. (I still can't believe it's been two years! Crazy!)

I wanted to answer some of your questions before we move ahead with the plot though. First, this is a Faberry fic, so no worries there. Yes, this is a re-upload and I've re-written some parts of it to give it a little more depth than it previously had, there are even two more chapter now. I will upload two chapters per week, wednesdays and Sundays? I hope it works for everyone. Thank you again. You're response has made me very happy. :)

Now, on with the chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

**2. White lies**

It was one of the hottest days of summer that Lima had ever witnessed when Quinn and Puck found themselves cleaning none other than the Karofsky's pool. It had been an interesting week after they cleaned the Lopez's pool last Saturday and while Quinn was pretty sure that if what happened with Jennifer got out her reputation would explode, she also didn't want Santana to ever found out about it, so the only one who knew was still just Puck and she needed it to stay that way.

She'd never admit it out loud but she felt incredibly connected with Santana, besides she was her best friend and even if their relationship as a couple had ended badly, they still shared some of their most precious memories with each other. So Quinn still cared deeply for Santana, not in a romantic way but as a friend.

Her affections were focused on somebody else anyway, and had been for a while now. Puck and Santana were always trying to give her that little push towards her crush but she knew better and stayed away from Rachel. It wasn't an easy task to stay away from the girl, no, it was one of the most difficult things that Quinn did everyday but she couldn't get close to the brunette because somehow every person that Quinn got close to always ended up hurt, even when she did everything in her power to protect them.

So the idea of getting close to Rachel and then hurt the girl unconsciously scared her so much to the point where she was convinced that she did better by staying away.

Rachel had been dating Finn Hudson by the end of the school year anyway, so it wasn't like Quinn had the green light to actually _do_ something even if she ever gathered the courage.

"It'd be bad" Puck nodded as they finally took a seat on a side of the pool, both teens exhausted after working under the raging sunlight.

"She'd kill me" Quinn said laying backwards and throwing an arm over her eyes to cover up from the sun. They had been discussing what had happened with Jennifer -again- while they worked, only this time they were guessing what Santana would do if she ever found out.

"With her bare hands" the boy conceded.

"Cut me into pieces and bury me in her backyard"

"And then she'll still find a way to torture your soul once you're dead."

Puck chuckled as his imagination flew. He'd like to say that they were exaggerating Santana's reaction but truth was, he was inclined to believe that Santana would end up in jail for killing Quinn if she ever found out.

"She can never know" Quinn said after a while, her tone serious. Puck nodded as he eyed the backyard of the Karofskys. This was one of the biggest pools they had cleaned so far and one of the finest as well. He was thinking about charging ten more bocks to their check when he noticed Dave's mom standing in the balcony. He played it cool and turned his head.

"Don't freak out" he hinted and Quinn sat up slowly, "but Mrs. Karofsky is watching us"

"Where?"

"From the balcony." Quinn looked to the side without fear and saw the woman staring down at them with a glass of some liquor in her hands and wearing a white robe. Dave's family was really loaded and his mom looked like a _Stepford_ wife standing there with her silk robe and expensive hairdo.

"So?" she shrugged turning back to his friend.

"Maybe we should tell her that we're done?" the boy exasperatingly proposed but when both teens looked back up the lady was no longer standing in the balcony.

…

A nervous Julie Karofsky was checking herself in the mirror as the teens by her pool gathered up all their tools. She could do this; she could go downstairs and do it. If she could only stop shaking it would be a little easier but either way, she nodded again to her reflection on the mirror and left the room.

Was it a bad idea? The most terrible she's ever had. Should she stop listening to Jennifer when she gave her advice? Absolutely! The woman was insane.

Insane or not though, Jennifer was a good friend, her best friend since high school actually and it was difficult for Julie to not listen to the woman at this point in her life.

When Jennifer had gotten to her house last Sunday morning to tell her about what she had been doing all Saturday afternoon, or _whom_ to be clearer; Julie had been shocked for several reasons.

First, Quinn was Judy's daughter and Judy was a close friend as well, almost as close as Jennifer was for Julie. Second, they had seen Quinn grow up, even help babysit on occasion. Third, Quinn went to school with Dave and Mia, her kids and she was often around hanging out with Dave and the boys. Fourth, Quinn was seventeen. Seventeen!

But to say that Julie wasn't intrigued, would be lying. She was more than a little curious now that she's heard Jennifer tales and after much pressure from the woman Julie was going out there to do whatever it took to seduce the teen.

She drank her drink of Whiskey and put down the glass on the kitchen counter. She quickly poured another one and downed it as well. The alcohol was almost powerful enough to cloud her right judgment and give her the push that she needed to go ahead with such a terrible plan.

When she stepped out in the backyard she didn't have another choice but to stare at the teens running around her pool.

A shirtless Quinn was laughing loudly as she was being chased by Puck who suspiciously had a white shirt in his hands as he tried to catch his best friend. Both kids were screaming at each other and just having a good time while Julie observed them from the doorway.

Julie had always noticed how beautiful Quinn was; ever since she was a little girl she had always had a beauty that left anyone who was meeting her for the first time, speechless. And now, as Julie looked at Quinn she could see that that beauty had only matured effortlessly in the girl as the years went by. Her once thin arms now were showing defined– and still feminine- muscles, her jawline had become more accentuated and now Quinn looked like a work of art, especially when she smiled like she was smiling at that moment. Her blonde hair still shined with the same intensity that it did like when it was longer and if Julie admitted, the short hair looked much better on the girl.

But would Quinn be what she needed to feel like a woman again?

Julie had a good relationship with her husband. They cared for each other, still held hands whenever they could, they called each other names and cuddled in bed every night, but there was no… _passion_ anymore. The need to go any further had vanished from their marriage and when they tried to be intimate they quickly became uncomfortable with what they were doing and immediately stopped.

She loved her husband but she needed to feel alive again. She needed to feel wanted, loved. If Quinn could give her that, even for just an hour then everything would be worth it.

With that new determination Julie finally made her presence known and the laughter immediately stopped. Quinn had ended up completely wet after Puck threw a bucket of water over her head and her shirt was now floating in the middle of the pool.

"Can I borrow your bathroom?" the girl asked while Puck explained the lady what they've done and how much it was going to be.

"Of course" Mrs. Karofsky easily said and didn't bother with giving Quinn any indications since she wasn't a stranger to the house.

…

"Stupid Puck" Quinn whined in the bathroom as she tried to dry her hair by shaking it wildly. They had been sitting on the edge when Quinn splashed him a little but Puck was so taken aback that he jumped on her and Quinn didn't have another choice but to make a run for it to prevent from being dropped into the clean pool. He had gotten a hold of her shirt and she had let him pull it out of her body in her rush to get away, and now she was half naked in Mrs. Karofsky's bathroom.

She was going to have to get home for a dry shirt and a proper shower. Huffing, she left the bathroom to find Mrs. Karofsky standing just a few feet away. Quinn chuckled, surprised at the sight of the woman and even faltered in her step, her eyes curious as the woman just stood with a drink in her hand and looked at her.

"What are you having Mrs. Karofsky?" she playfully asked and suddenly very aware that she was standing only in her sports bra in front of the lady.

"Red Label" the woman answered as she took another sip.

"Can I have some?" Quinn laughed at her own silly question but Mrs. Karofsky was just staring at her without saying anything. Growing nervous, the teen cleared her throat and nodded.

"It'd be wrong of me to give you some" the woman finally said.

"Not if anyone knows" Quinn hurried to say and Mrs. Karofsky laughed instead of answering. "I think I'm gonna check on Puck" the blond awkwardly pointed to the backyard.

"Oh, he already left"

"What?" the first thought that go through Quinn's mind was '_that traitor!_'

"I told him I'd lend you a shirt first and he got a call from his mother, she needed him right away."

Mrs. Karofsky started to walk up the stairs after that and Quinn didn't know what to do. She was thinking of ways to kill Puck and for the first time she began to feel really naked and although she knew that Dave and Mia weren't home –they had gone to California with their dad- she still felt a little scared that someone else was going to find her there standing oddly in the hallway, so without waiting another second she followed Mrs. Karofsky up the stairs.

If she was going home walking she –at least- needed a dry shirt to cover her killer abs. She didn't want to cause any accidents on the streets.

Walking the familiar path down the hallway to Dave's room, Quinn stopped at the door when she found the older woman pulling a blue shirt form one of the drawers.

From behind Mrs. Karofsky resembled Rachel a lot. She was short and had long legs just like Quinn's crush; she also had long wavy hair, not to mention the big eyes that Quinn had noticed months ago. Mrs. Karofsky was beautiful like that and there was something so maternal about her, so caring that Quinn wasn't the only one who always tried to convince Dave to hang out in his house. She definitely wasn't the only one with a minor crush on Dave's mom because how could they not when she was so nice when they were there. She always invited them to dinner or lunch, depending on the time they happened to be in her house and her cooking was to die for.

"You like blue?" the woman asked.

"I-um, huh?"

The woman smiled, amused at the look on the teen's face. She had obviously interrupted some deep thinking.

"Blue? Do you like it?"

"Yeah, blue is nice" Quinn smiled, completely oblivious to the woman's intentions and focusing now more on the oversized blue shirt she was about to burrow.

There was a look in Mrs. Karofsky's eyes as she got closer to Quinn with the blue shirt in her hands and it made Quinn grow nervous when she saw it.

"What about…" the woman ran a finger on her chest, revealing the skin underneath her robe as Quinn followed with hungry eyes "…white?"

Quinn swallowed and hummed her answer. It couldn't be happening. Not again and not with another mom. Did she have a sign on her forehead now that told these ladies that she was available or willing?

"I didn't catch that" the woman seductively husked.

"White is nice too" Quinn spoke, surprisingly without stuttering and clearing her throat after.

Mrs. Karofsky smiled again as her finger kept drawing patterns on her now exposed chest and Quinn finally got the memo.

If Puck was there, he would probably be hitting her pretty head against the doorframe she was leaning on right now. She was seventeen and this was the mother of a boy that in all honesty she couldn't stand but kind of had to and this was everyone's dream. Puck wouldn't forgive her if she let this go, hell! She wouldn't forgive herself and this experience she would actually be able to tell Santana about and laugh together behind Dave's back.

"I thought about getting a pink robe but there is something about white" Mrs. Karofsky commented as Quinn's confidence grew.

"You know something Mrs. Karofsky?" she took a step closer and smirked when the woman's smile only grew, "I like white too but you'd look a lot better without this robe on you."

Quinn didn't allow the woman the opportunity to react properly as she grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to her, crushing their lips together in a forceful kiss.

At first, Julie was taken aback and her first instinct was to push the girl away but then she remembered that this had been the plan all along, and her plan was coming together beautifully at the moment, so she hesitantly returned the kiss. She felt more than wanted, she felt desired and she couldn't remember how long it has been since her heart beat inside her chest this way. So wildly, so excitedly.

Jennifer was not wrong when she said that the experience had made her feel years younger. Julie was already feeling like a teen in the arms and the never ending kiss of Quinn.

She felt weird kissing Mrs. Karofsky, there was something in the back of her mind telling her that this was a bad idea and it wasn't like when she was with Jennifer. But Quinn didn't stop and her hands started to feel exploratory as she headed south and suddenly had her hands full of Mrs. Karofsky's ass. As the woman pulled back to gasp her surprise, Quinn took the chance to grab both thighs of the woman and carry her towards the bed only a few feet away from them. The idea of doing it in Dave's bed with his mom was driving Quinn insane with power.

This was nothing but sex to Quinn and sex she could handle. Being on top of Mrs. Karofsky gave her the upper hand and she quickly stopped kissing the woman to open her robe with a swift move of her right hand. At the sight of perky pink nipples Quinn didn't wait for an invitation before she latched onto one as her free hand massaged the other.

Mrs. Karofsky was being extremely quiet but her hands were gripping Quinn's hands and her hips kept bucking every time that Quinn's bulge graced her center.

The truth was, Mrs. Karofsky looked extremely adorable with her eyes closed as she concentrated hard in everything that Quinn was doing to her in that moment.

Taking a moment the teen stopped her ministrations and climbed up again to kiss the woman softly on the lips.

"Hi" she said smiling when the lady finally opened her eyes to find her staring. "I'm Quinn" she tapped her chin and pecked her lips again, making the woman finally smile back.

"I'm Julie" she bit her lip and Quinn kissed her again. It was such an innocent and silly action that Julie's heart couldn't help to swell inside because of it.

"I'm very pleased to meet you Julie" the teen said before she eagerly kissed the woman underneath her again, without even realizing what she was making Julie feel in that moment.

"I have to ask though" Quinn said pulling back again and looking into the chocolate eyes that were paying her so much attention, "do you want to move things further?"

Quinn saw something flash through Julie's eyes but she didn't know exactly what could have gone through the woman's head before the brunette pulled her down into a searing kiss, a silent answer to her question.

It didn't feel like when she was with Jennifer and even though Quinn felt too intimate, she didn't stop. Every kiss felt like she was kissing a girlfriend by the way Julie caressed her face and begged her to keep going close.

Without their clothes in the middle Quinn was about to pull back, the look in Julie's eyes being too intense for her liking but instead she just maneuvered the lady and turned her around to grip the headboard of her son's bed.

"You'll fell me for weeks Julie, do you want that?" Quinn asked as she teased the lady's opening with her erect cock. The woman could only moan in response. "Answer me."

"Yes, I want that" the woman finally gasped without turning to look back and Quinn thrust inside of her without waiting another second.

Julie also felt very different from Jennifer and even if Quinn tried to make the occasion as casual as possible, it was proving to be impossible. The urge to treat Julie with respect and kindness was too big to ignore and she had no idea where it was all coming from.

Her body was begging her to pick up her pace and _fuck_ Julie, but her mind told her differently. As Quinn thrust back inside the woman she closed her eyes and caressed Julie's back, squeezed her waist and marveled at the way they seemed to connect over something that wasn't supposed to be deep. Julie wasn't making any noises, the only reaction Quinn could see were her knuckles turning white as she squeezed the headboard.

She leaned down, her thrusts still deep and contained, and kissed Julie's shoulder blade. "Are you okay?" she asked in the woman's ear and was surprised to find out that she was really worried and she actually wanted an answer.

"Mmm huh" the lady hummed as her hips met Quinn's midway.

"You feel really good" Quinn moaned as her hands reached up to squeeze Julie's breast and pinch her erect nipples. "Do I feel good? Do you like it?"

She picked up her pace as she waited for an answer, the sound of her thighs meeting Julie's backside resounding around them. Quinn kissed a path down the woman's back, bringing her hands to grip Julie's hips as she gained speed.

"Yesss" the older woman finally hissed as the last string of control seemed to evaporate from Quinn.

What was supposed to be just careless sex became an entire different experience for both women as they neared the edge together.

In a moment of pure desperation, when Quinn was so close to orgasm that she could practically touch it, she pulled out of the woman and turned her back around, needing to see her face as she also came apart in her arms.

Julie had the most precious look on her face as she orgasm. Her back arched in the mattress and her mouth was open but not a single sound was coming out of it, her eyes squeezed shut and her hands fisting the sheets so hard that her knuckles turned white from the force she was using. A thin layer of sweat was making Julie's skin glow under the dim light and as Quinn's thrusts lost all sense of control, she watched Julie come for a second time, along with her.

It was pure bliss after that and as Quinn pulled herself out she felt the woman shiver and quickly wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close to her chest were they snuggled together and soon fell into a deep slumber.

…

When Quinn woke up the first thing she felt was disoriented and then hot. It was really warm and she actually took a deep breath before cleaning the sweat from her forehead with the sheet beside her.

The blue batman sheet was what made her take a second look around and suddenly she became aware of the woman sleeping by her side.

"Fuck" she barely whispered and already panicking.

This was not something that was supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to play _house_ with Julie and fall sleep after sex with the woman in her arms. She needed to get out, she needed to get out because she was feeling scared and something just felt completely off about the whole thing.

She had the feeling when they were in the middle of having sex and even before that, and now that feeling was back and Quinn just wanted to put distance between herself and Dave's mom. But she wasn't careful enough while she was removing her arm from underneath Julie's head and the woman opened her eyes just as Quinn set her arm free.

"Hey" the teen casually said before she sat up and picked up her clothes as fast as she could.

"You're leaving?" the answer to that question was pretty obvious but Quinn still took the time to look back and smile at the woman.

"My mom told me this morning that she needed to talk to you about a get together" Julie nodded, realizing that Quinn was avoiding her question. "Give her a call, yeah?"

"Sure" Julie sat on the bed and covered her naked body with her son's batman sheet and suddenly felt very guilty about what had happened. She felt… ashamed.

Quinn felt it, she felt it coming. It was like a warning falling from the sky when she finally caught a glimpse of Julie's sad eyes and shy behavior. She had seen that look in two or three girls' faces in the past. It was the 'please, tell me that you're going to call me after this' look and that's why the next sentence fell out of her mouth instinctively and without thinking through it.

"Yeah, I need to leave. I was supposed to have dinner with my girlfriend tonight"

"Girlfriend?" Julie asked without missing a beat.

"Yeah, she's helping mom organizing that get together and I need to pick her up" the lie just kept growing as she put on her shoes and the blue shirt that Julie had borrowed her. When she turned around she almost lost her conviction to just walk out of the door when she saw Julie's sad expression and almost told her that there was no girlfriend at all.

The woman looked seriously conflicted and Quinn instantly knew that everything had been a terrible idea. Julie was obviously not someone who was used to this kind of encounters and Quinn should have seen it before she jumped in bed with her.

The clock indicated one o'clock in the afternoon, so thankfully they hadn't been slept for longer than one hour but Quinn couldn't wait to leave.

"Are you going to be there? At the party?" Julie finally asked as Quinn tried to decide what to do next.

"Of course" she smirked and sat next to Julie, deciding that she needed to play things as aloof as she could. "This was really fun" she smiled before she kissed the woman's lips but before Julie had the chance to deepen the kiss, Quinn had already stood up.

"I'll see you at the party" the teen winked before she practically ran out of the room and the house.

…


	3. I thought you were making progress

**3. I thought you were making progress **

When in trouble, Quinn and Puck always ended up with each other. So it was obvious that after her run from Julie's house Quinn found herself in her best friend's house in less than five minutes. He had opened the door in a rush and his little sister was with him. They had to drop Melanie with her mom in the temple where Mrs. Puckerman was helping with a charitable lunch and after what it seemed to be an eternity they finally found themselves alone in his truck.

"I need a girlfriend" she blurted out and Puck laughed. Neither one of them had had a girlfriend in a long time, well Santana has been the only one that Quinn's ever had.

"Me too. If you find one let me know"

"No, really. I need a girlfriend" Puck finally caught on her tone and his smile turned into a frowned.

"What happened at the Karofsky's?" he asked suspiciously.

"What do you think it happened? And why did you leave me there alone? If you hadn't gone anywhere, nothing would have happened!"

His first instinct was to explain what happened to his best friend but then he actually took a look at her and saw the Batman t-shirt she was wearing and remembered that he had thrown her shirt on the pool before he left.

His mouth dropped open as his eyes widen. He gripped the wheel in his hands and just drove for a moment while the realization slowly drawn on him. Then he took a second look at his best friend and saw her wild hair -her sex hair- he knew it.

"Dude!" he finally yelled, his eyes wide with shock. "Did you screw Dave's mom?"

The color drained from Quinn's face as she looked outside the window. She knew it had been a mistake, mostly because the woman seemed to be really into it and not just in the 'I just want sex' kind of way.

"Wow! This is huge!" Puck was laughing now, obviously proud of his best friend. Worries a side.

"I need a girlfriend" she repeated but her statement was barely heard by her laughing friend.

"Tell me everything. How was it?" and for some reason she didn't want to tell him anything. She didn't want to give him any details or anything that was considered intimate. For some reason she wanted to keep this to herself, the entire experience.

"Just drive to my house Puck" she told him and even though the boy was dying for some details he understood her tone immediately.

"What happened?" he asked, now more tentatively than before.

"I shouldn't have done anything" she lamented even though she was well aware that what was done was done and nothing she could do or say now could take it back. Regrets weren't something she liked to carry.

"Tell me what went wrong" her friend asked her.

"She's Dave's mom and she didn't look like the casual sex kind of girl" she breathed out and ran her hands on her hair for the tenth time.

"Did she give you love eyes or something?"

The question was supposed to be light and make his friend laugh but when Quinn didn't laugh he absolutely understood why his best friend was considering this a mistake. "Why a girlfriend though?"

"She started to ask questions and I just told her that I was supposed to have dinner with my girlfriend" she raised a finger in Puck's direction, silently asking him to let her finish before he got to the screaming part. "I freaked out, alright! I didn't know what to say or what to do and I said the first thing that popped into my head and now she's going to be in my house for that party my mom is organizing and I need to have a girl in my arm so she doesn't think that I was lying."

Instead of answering Puck parked his car outside of Quinn's house. Sometimes Quinn was a real idiot, but only sometimes. He'd be the first to admit that between the two of them, his blond friend was the one to be trusted the most but when she messed up, she had the ability to mess things up in glorious ways. Like she had just done.

"The party is tomorrow, my mom is going all nuts about it" he thought out loud. It was impossible to get Quinn a girlfriend for tomorrow. She had to know it. "You're an idiot" he added.

"Thanks, I kind of figured that one out a couple of minutes ago."

Quinn felt torn and she wasn't even sure why. She didn't want to hurt Julie and the thought was foreign but she knew well that she needed to stay away, maybe she could just skipped the party all together even if her mom was insisting that she'd be present.

But Julie had looked heartbroken at the mention of a girlfriend and even more so when Quinn decided to go like that. That was the kind of vulnerability that made Quinn feel guilty to the bones and she wasn't a complete stranger to those stares. She had disappointed more girls than she'd like to admit but no one knew how truly awful she felt after.

"What should I do?" she finally asked and looked at her best friend. Puck was dying to give Quinn a piece of his mind but he also knew that she was probably already kicking herself for it, she didn't need him to point out all of her wrongs, she needed him to be her best friend at the moment and he could do that.

"Nothing, don't tell her anything. If you go all the way to prove yourself to her, you're giving her importance to the entire situation and instead of pulling away, you might be pulling her closer to you, so don't tell her nothing. Just stay away."

It was the perfect solution if you saw it from one perspective but it was completely wrong if you saw it from another one.

Quinn accepted his friend's advice and together they got out of the car and into her house. Loud voices could be heard from somewhere in her house and Quinn remembered that her mother's cousin was spending the weekend there with her two daughters. Her mood immediately switched when she remembered how much fun they had the last time when her second cousins came to visit.

"Aunt Kathy is visiting this weekend" Quinn said and watched with a smirk as Puck's eyes widen, "Mom, I'm home!" she called out and soon enough Judy and her cousin Kathy appeared at the kitchen where Puck was already looking for food.

"Hi mom" Quinn grimaced as Judy pinched her cheeks before she kissed both, "Hi Aunt Kathy" she _had_ to smile when her aunt did the same though.

"You look gorgeous, honey" her aunt said as Puck finally popped his head out of the fridge.

"Good morning, Mrs. Fabray, aunt Kathy" he laughingly said and both women laughed, very used to have the boy around by now.

"How was the trip, aunt Kathy?" Quinn had taken the apple Puck was eating from his hands and took a big bite of it. Judy smiled at the familiarity the two kids had before she left the kitchen to get her purse. Kathy started telling Quinn about the trip and stops she had done with her daughters while the blonde nodded along. Quinn was aware of how much her aunt loved her and internally winced at the mere thought of her aunt ever finding out of what Quinn was used to do with her daughters when they visited. She hoped she never found out.

"What do you kids want for lunch?" Judy asked returning to the kitchen. "Anything but Pizza" said a serious Judy pointing a finger at Puck's and Quinn's direction.

"Not fair" they said almost in unison and with perfect scowls. Sometimes Judy mused about how perfect it would have been to have another child, although having Puck around was like having a son in the house. The boy practically lived there!

"She's kidding" Kathy said pushing a laughing Judy to the front door. "My girls are in your room Quinn, take care of them while we pick lunch." And then they were gone.

Puck and Quinn's eyes met with matching grins and without another word they both ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

"I thought you weren't coming" a girl whined before she threw her arms around Puck's neck and kissed him. Bella was sixteen and ever since she met Puck two years ago, they've instantly clicked. Only sexually though, the girls still lived in another state and neither wanted to discover the awfulness of having a long distance relationship.

"Well hello to you too" Puck laughed when he was able to breathe.

Crystal was lying on Quinn's bed with a photo album in her hands and she hadn't even looked up at the blonde since she walked inside, although she was smiling at the sight of Bella with her legs wrapped tightly around Puck's waist.

"Ok, I'll see you later" Quinn pushed a stumbling Puck out of her room. "And hi Bella, nice to see you." She sarcastically said.

"Hey, wait!"

"Don't use my mom's bed" she warned before she closed the door in his face and turned around to see Crystal finally looking up at her from her position on her bed and setting the photo album in her nightstand.

"Hi" Quinn smiled as she finally got rid of the awful blue shirt she was wearing. Not because of Batman because she loved it but the blue was just terrible. She must have look like an idiot wearing it.

"I hear you're working now" Crystal commented as Quinn crawled on the bed until she's hovering over her.

"I do what I can" the blonde shrugged before she kissed Crystal softly and with no hurry, even though she probably should.

"Where are our moms?" the red hair asked as she helped Quinn take off her top and then worked on the blonde's pants as Quinn took off her bra.

"Went to pick up lunch" Quinn said before she attached her mouth to a perky dark nipple and sucked hard as her hands ran down smooth thighs.

This was different; this was the kind of activity Quinn was used to. There was no need to lie about feelings or expectations because they both knew what they wanted and they didn't want anything else. It was easier, funnier and way more exciting with cero complications.

"You hair is a mess" Crystal noticed as Quinn took off the last item of her clothes, leaving them both completely naked.

"I know" Quinn was already getting comfortable between Crystal's legs when the brunette smiled in recognition of Quinn's messy hair.

"You had sex this morning, didn't you?" Quinn's nervous laugh was a dead giveaway.

"No more talking" the blonde said before she slipped her fingers inside the girl making her moan and grip the sheets to her side. "You're on the pill, right?"

"Yeah, get inside" Crystal desperately demanded and Quinn was more than happy to apply. Both froze at the same moment. Quinn felt like she was being squeeze to death as Crystal dug her nails on her back, willing herself to accommodate the intrusion between her legs.

She loved the feeling, even though it turned her into a masochist because Quinn was just _that_ much bigger than her boyfriend back at home and it was nothing in comparison. Somehow, she always felt like a virgin all over again when she was with her second cousin, third or whatever. It didn't matter as long as it felt this good.

"God, you feel better than I remember" Quinn whispered before she kissed Crystal's shoulder and peppered her face with kisses until the brunette finally opened her eyes.

"And you keep feeling bigger" they both laughed at that and when Crystal thrust her hips upwards, Quinn finally got the sign that it was okay to move.

Sex with a person that you trusted was completely different than when you had a one night stand. It felt deeper, more intimate but not in a scary way like Quinn had felt with Julie. Sex with Crystal felt good because she was a person that the blonde felt comfortable around, she was someone she trusted and someone she loved, even though there was no romantic interest by either one of them, they still felt attracted though and somehow it made the whole experience just that much more intense.

Getting Crystal to the edge never took long and after many times of doing so, Quinn had the technic down. This time was no different and as she picked up her pace, careful to hit that special spot inside of the brunette, she pinched her nipples and kissed her hard. It was all it took to bring Crystal to the edge and moaning Quinn's name.

"I've missed you so much" was the first thing Crystal gasped once her body stopped shaking with the force of her orgasm.

"You should visit more often" Quinn kissed her one last time before she stood up and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It would take the edge from both of us. It's a good thing I visit so far in between, it makes it more special" she smiled as Quinn handed her back her clothes from her bedroom floor.

"Guess you're right" she shrugged, getting dressed herself and shamelessly staring at Crystal boobs as the brunette put on her bra.

"Dickhead" the brunette hit Quinn lightly with her top before putting it on.

"It's a nice view" the blonde laughed.

"Anyway" Crystal stood up as well, walking towards the mirror to fix her hair as Quinn fixed her bed. "Who were you sleeping with this morning?"

Quinn's shoulders shook with contained laughter. This was another aspect of her relationship with Crystal that she absolutely loved. The honesty.

"Jus… some girl" she said hoping they would move on.

"I thought you were cleaning pools"

"I was"

"You weren't fucking a mom, were you?" it was supposed to be a joke but Quinn felt silent and that was a giveaway. "No way" Crys turned around, horror in her face. "No way!"

"Shut up, please" Quinn asked, throwing the pillows at the head of her bed and trying to ignore Crystal's growing laugher as he laid back.

"How old is she?"

"Not that old" Quinn was growing irritated quickly.

"Seriously, how old?"

"Thirty four, maybe. Stop laughing!"

"This is fucking hilarious, next thing you'll know she'll be giving you presents, pimping you up and then she'll never leave you alone because older women are just a pain in the ass for teenagers Quinn" underneath the teasing tone, there was actual concern and Quinn was quick to caught on it.

"What do you mean?" she asked now paying more attention than before. Crystal turned around to face her seriously. Boys always thought with their dicks and that rule applied to Quinn as well at the moment since she had a pretty –not at all small- cock hanging between her legs.

"Older women don't just sleep around with whoever they want. You're not messing with a crazy teenager here Quinn. If I were you, I'd stay the hell away from cougars."

Initially Quinn had been worried about disappointing and eventually hurting Julie but what Crystal was saying had never even crossed her mind and now that she thought about it, it should have.

"But what is that supposed to mean? Did she sleep with me because she has feeling for me or what?"

"Let's not go there yet. She's probably not in love with you or anything, so relax." Quinn nodded and the brunette sat beside her on the edge of the mattress. She wanted to be thoughtful but she also wanted Quinn to get the message across so she wouldn't go ahead and do something stupid, like start a relationship with a cougar that would only end up messing up with her life later on. "You're a great lover Quinn and now this woman knows it. Look, just don't accept any gifts from her, avoid her at all costs and don't give her anything to hold on to. She's probably loaded but don't let her spoil you, okay?"

Quinn just nodded again, lost in thought. She didn't have any intentions to accept anything from anybody and Crystal was only trying to help. Quinn knew that the girl held her best intentions.

"Anyway, how is the big nose girl doing these days?"

"Don't call her that!" Quinn jumped, totally missing the smirk on Crys' lips. If there was a subject able to take Quinn's mind out of the cougars, that was Rachel and Crystal knew it.

"Have you slept with her yet?" she asked as she went to the mirror to finish fixing her make up.

"She's not that kind of girl" Quinn chuckled to herself. Her mind already on Rachel and everything that she was.

"Every girl wants a little action" Crys winked through the reflection of the mirror. Quinn just shook her head.

"She's not like that. Besides, it's not like I'll try anything anyway. I'm not who she needs to be with and I need to stay away."

It was this part of Quinn that Crystal truly hated. Insecurity didn't look well on anybody but on Quinn, it just looked catastrophic. She didn't know Rachel but from what the blonde has told her about the girl, she knew that she was an achiever, a determined girl that wanted to make it big. Quinn thought that with her reputation she'd only hold the girl back if she ever tried anything with her and Crystal didn't know why Quinn felt that way.

"Again with the pity party?" she asked, obviously annoyed.

"It's not a pity part, alright? I just don't want to hold her back"

"You're in high school, what's there to hold her back from?"

"She doesn't need me to keep her out of focus. She has plans, she knows what she's going to do and I just…" Quinn looked at the floor beneath her feet, she looked lost. "I don't know what's next after high school."

"Most of us don't" Crystal said, "so what if you don't know what you're going to do after school is over. Most of us feel just as lost but this is the time to grab onto what we love"

"I don't love her!" Quinn instantly jumped, making Crystal roll her eyes.

"We've talked about this" she calmly said.

"No, you talked about it and came to conclusions by yourself. I'm not in love with her."

Crystal took a deep breath and leaned on Quinn's desk. Denial also looked terrible on the blonde, especially because she was an awful liar.

"I just like her, she's pretty and determined, and really intelligent."

"Right, what color were her eyes again?" Crystal found a nail file on the desk and got to work.

"Brown, well, more like chocolate" came the instant response. "She's very expressive with her eyes. I mean, seriously. You can tell if she's having a good or bad day just by the way that she looks at you. It's amazing."

"Uh huh. And what color her hair was?"

"Brown as well" Quinn chuckled and Crystal looked up to find the most insanely look on Quinn's face that screamed _in love_ but she let her continue without interrupting. "She likes it long and I like it like that too. I'm not a big fan of bangs but hers look great, even though I'd rather see her pretty forehead all the time but that's okay."

Crystal had to admit that the rambling was kind of cute and it endeared her to Quinn that much more but her denial was definitely not.

"Uh huh" she nodded again. "You said she liked this movie… this… mmm"

"Funny girl?" Quinn fell right into that one.

"Yes that one, why did she like it so much?"

"Because of Barbra of course. She's like her idol, she feels inspired by her and always aims to be like her, but you know what?" it was rhetorical question and Crystal knew it, "I bet good money on that Rachel will be better than Barbra ever was. She'll take Broadway by storm and make it her home, I can see it, you know? She's going to be amazing; I have no doubt that in a few years I'll be buying tickets to see her on her Broadway debut."

There was a spark in Quinn's eyes as she spoke and it was clear as day for the brunette that Quinn was truly and deeply in love with this girl. It surprised her Quinn was still in denial phase after all this time.

"But you don't love her" Crystal sarcastically said.

"I _don't_ love her"

"Because you don't know much about her, right?"

"Because I don't _do_ love ok? I don't do love and I don't deserve to have her. In this life or the next. She's better than me, she's better than everyone in this town and she's everything I'm not and I don't know _anything_ about her."

"Right, right. So what's her favorite color again?"

Quinn fell silent as her jaw dropped open and realization hit her. "Oh, I see what you're doing" she pointed an accusatory finger at Crystal who just tried to look innocent.

"And what is that, Quinnie?" she laughed and crawled on the bed.

"Don't call me that and you know exactly what I'm talking about, asking me questions about Berry when you know I don't know anything about her"

"Right, because you don't know what color are her eyes or how to read the emotions in them. Or how she likes her hair or what her favorite movie is and you definitely not know about her goals in life, right? So no, you don't love her at all."

Quinn furrowed her brow, hating Crystal in that moment. "Oh! And you don't do love, I get it"

"Good" Quinn said cuttingly.

"Good" Crystal repeated with a teasing smile.

"I don't love her ok? So just drop it"

"Fine, but you need to stop spying on her, it's kind of creepy"

"Drop it!" Quinn yelled but Crystal was already walking out of her room.

'I don't love Rachel Berry, I don't do love. Crystal is wrong, I don't love her, I don't!' Quinn repeated a couple of times before getting out of her room as well and wondering where exactly did Puck ended up having sex with Bella.

…


	4. Too tempting to pass

I've done some changes in this chapter as well. As some of you might remember there was a backyard scene where Brittany and Santana were involved but I've decided to change their characters for the sake of giving the story the depth that I'm trying to get to. (Hopefully) AND it wasn't a cousin; they were the kids of her mother's cousin. I understand though and I'm sorry if the last chapter made you uncomfortable. I promise to give you a heads up for upcoming chapters.

**Warnings**: BJs and a bathroom scene NSFW.

Thanks for reading, you're amazing and reading your comments and feedback might be my favorite thing about all of this. (Besides writing it of course) Enjoy.

**4. Too tempting to pass**

"So, you want me to say that your non-existent girlfriend helped me plan this evening, is that correct?" asked a confused Judy for the third time as she looked at her only daughter.

"Exactly mom, you got it" said a smiling Quinn but that didn't really help Judy understand anything at all.

The older blonde took a deep calming breath to clear her mind. Quinn was asking her to do something that didn't make much sense –or sense at all - because her daughter had never introduced a _real_ girlfriend to Judy in her life, so it was understandable the kind of confusion that the lady felt at the moment.

"Why exactly?" she asked and she watched with hidden amusement how Quinn searched her brain for a lie. Judy knew that the closest thing that her only daughter has ever come to have a girlfriend had been Santana and that hadn't ended very well when it did, she was surprised –and more than a little relieved- when she noticed how both girls seemed to get along better as friends.

"Mom please. Just do it, if anyone asks just say that my girlfriend helped you and you don't know why she's not here tonight, please" she begged and Judy would have asked more questions in that moment because the whole lie was a little off but Quinn looked stressed as it was and she wanted to give her a little comfort.

"Fine, fine" said Judy as she went back to her cooking. "Make sure you're around though."

"Of course." Quinn kissed her mom's cheek and ran up the stairs to her room.

She was aware of the big fat lie she was building but Julie wouldn't find out about anything and even if she did, Quinn was starting to realize that she didn't own the woman any explanation at all. Julie was a married woman after all and what they had was just a onetime thing, even if it hurt and Quinn knew that it did. It always did.

…

A couple of hours later Judy Fabray found herself sitting in her living room with all her best friends around. It had been so long since the last time they did this, get together to chat, play some poker and drink some wine just because, that she was starting to realize that she really missed her girls.

After the divorce Judy had been left devastated. What with a daughter to take care off and a house to support. Sure, she still got Russell's child support money for Quinn but it wasn't enough. However, between tears and desperation she had found out who her true friends really were.

The ladies that were currently laughing at one of the many jokes of Jennifer in her living room, had helped her until she was back on her feet and no longer whining about being a single mom.

Judy smiled to herself as memories ran through her head. The many times that Julie would appear at her door step with a new job offer, or Jennifer helping her with some of the work she sometimes took home with her, the way Marissa always dropped by and cook dinner with her when she was feeling overwhelmed, or how Liza would offer to babysit Quinn and never charged her a single penny for it. They were really good friends and she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

So she raised her glass and immersed in a heartfelt toast in name of her sisters, in many ways.

…

Quinn's backyard wasn't as spacious as Santana's and the pool was half the size, but there was a large swing in the back that all of them simply adored because it was big enough for all of them.

The laughter coming from inside her house let Quinn know that her mom was having fun, not as much fun as she was having in that moment, but still. She loved seeing her mother happy and the women inside her house right now, had the magic ability to put a smile on Judy's face with just showing up.

"Shit" she hissed, suddenly very aware of what was happening in the swing. When Quinn looked down she didn't even saw Vanessa's face, just a mass of blonde hair on her lap as her blonde friend blew her off. Puck was chanting some kind of pray while he looked at the clear sky above them as Andrea worked her mouth fast on him.

"Just like that babe… fuck you're good" Puck always turned verbose when he was being blown off and it always made Quinn laugh. Shivers ran all over her body when Vanessa's hands started to lift her shirt and her nails ran on her stomach.

She loved when they scratched her. This was another secret that she shared exclusively with Santana. Only the brunette knew how much Quinn loved to feel the slight pain that scratching brought with it when she was having sex and as Vanessa was doing it while Quinn was buried deep down her throat, she felt a loud moan erupt from the pit of her stomach and out.

"God, Nessa" she tangled her hands in golden locks as Puck was coming apart right beside her. She saw Andrea jump back before anything could get to her and the disgusted look on her face as Puck finished the job by himself on the loan.

"Jesus" Vanessa was really an expert at blowjobs and Quinn was seriously about to see stars –she knew she'd see stars- but then the blonde tucked her hands down and gripped Quinn's testicles lightly and that's when Quinn pushed her back by the shoulders, carefully.

"I'm gonna come" she hurriedly said but Vanessa smiled up at her and covered the head of her penis with her lips once more.

At this point Quinn was oblivious of the look on Andrea's and Puck's faces, as the one looked with an amused expression and the other with a smirk on her face.

"Damn it Nessa!" Puck said without being able to hold his cheering.

With one last suck on her head and Vanessa's heavenly hands squeezing her balls, Quinn came with a loud groan and down her friend's throat. But Vanessa wasn't making it any easier on Quinn as she kept sucking; she was well oblivious to the looks she was getting and the pained expression on Quinn's face.

"My God, Nessa. Baby, stop, stop" she laughed as Vanessa looked up at her.

"How was it?" she asked eagerly as she tucked Quinn back inside her boxers and jeans.

"Nessa, you. God" with a raged breath and still trembling limbs, Quinn carried Nessa onto her lap and planted a thankful kiss on soft lips. "You are always amazing, Nessa. Always" she said sincerely.

…

As Jennifer pulled out of her purse a bottle of Tequila everyone dissipated to get the proper ingredients for it and she was finally able to get a minute alone with a very -obviously- restless Julie.

"Spill it. We only have like two minutes" she ordered as she turned around to face the woman. Only said woman didn't say a word and simply shrugged her shoulders while she eyed the stairs for the hundredth time since they had gotten to Judy's house.

Jennifer already had an idea of what was really going on with her closest friend but she needed her to come clean before she made any kind of comment about it.

"All is fine" Julie said but the frown on her forehead told a different story and Jennifer forgot what she had been thinking a second ago. She just didn't really have the patience.

"Who are you kidding?" she growled playfully. "You've been practically praying to the Gods that a certain blonde walks down those stairs so you can eye-sex her with your big lust filled cougar eyes."

Julie simply smiled, used to her friend's long rants and didn't say anything. Her thoughts quickly took her back to two days ago when she had that blonde in her house and the feeling of waking up in her arms had been almost too scary to not noticed or have it imprinted in her brain.

"Julie" Jennifer tentatively called.

"Ok, yes. I want to see her, can you blame me? What is the big deal?"

Jennifer took a deep breath and decided that she didn't really want to go down a heated argument in this moment and especially not in Judy's house, so she did what she did best when she wanted to avoid trouble. She made fun of it.

"I thought I saw you limping"

"I wasn't" Julie hurriedly denied but at Jennifer's teasing smile she rolled her eyes.

"I know _I_ was" she shrugged easily, waiting for a reaction and Julie didn't disappointed.

Julie's jaw tensed and threw her shoulders back, she was pissed and Jennifer was starting to get concerned.

"Look, don't get any wrong ideas about this. Quinn just happens to be good in bed and that's all she's ever going to be good at, for us, okay?"

"What is wrong with you?" Julie suddenly felt very protective of the girl and her eyes expressed all the rage she felt towards her friend at that moment. "She is a person, not a fuck toy that you can use any time you want."

"Julie" Jennifer called, this time there was no room for teasing or playfulness. "You can't" she simply said when Julie met her eyes. "You can't, it's wrong."

"Can't what exactly?"

"You can't get into anything with her, she's practically a child and the only reason I told you about her was because you were so sexually frustrated that I seriously considered offering you my kind services at one point because Jesus"

"Now, that's wrong" Julie shivered at the images that were popping in her head.

"Seriously Julie, you can't though"

"You don't know what you're talking about or what goes inside my head" Jennifer really would have laughed at that because Julie was like an open book for her and she could see the hope and nervous running through her eyes and body language perfectly clear.

"It's wrong"

"And fucking her is not?" Julie glared at her.

"She is a teenager. We did her a favor by making one of her dreams a reality and a good lay it's only going to make her a more confident human being in the future but she doesn't need a grown up woman clinging on to her when she was never looking for anything complicated."

Jennifer's words stunk, and bad but that only made Julie angrier. "A child? Really, Jennifer? You're coming up with that just now? You just thought about it? Just realized it?"

Jennifer took the killer looks without flinching. Sometimes she hated to know Julie so well. She knew that whatever her friend is thinking, she's not going to just forget about.

"She did you and me in the same week. Do you think we're the only ones that she slept with this week?" Julie shook her head and looked down. She almost huffed but the sudden press on her chest prevented her to.

"I just want to see her" she finally said and with that they felt silent until Judy, Marissa and Liza returned with lemons and salt from the kitchen.

…

It didn't take long for all of them to get buzzed. Jennifer's tequila was always the best. The only one who had only drank two shots was Julie and that's why she was still laughing properly, not like Jennifer was doing, or even worse, Liza.

"Excuse me" as she stood up she realized that if she wanted to stay sober she needed to stop drinking any further. Tequila wasn't something to mess with after all. Her gaze was already a little fuzzy.

With her mind set on retouching her make-up, Julie made her way towards the bathroom but just as she was about to reach for the handle, the door swung open and a mass of blond hair crushed with her. There was a second of utter terror where Julie saw herself hitting the floor, but that didn't happen as two strong arms around her waist easily steadied her.

"I'm so sorry" Quinn apologized and quickly removed her arms when she noticed who she was actually holding. Julie smiled, her eyes shining with something the teen couldn't quite explain.

"It's okay" she whispered, her eyes never leaving Quinn's and the smile a permanent feature on her lips. For a moment Julie truly saw Quinn and what she found made her lose her breath. Quinn's eyes were really hypnotizing. How come has she never noticed before? "I thought you weren't here."

"Yeah, I was in the backyard" Quinn nodded her head, making her discomfort known but Julie saw this as an opportunity and she couldn't let it pass. She had been waiting to see Quinn the entire night. "Everyone in there looks pretty wasted" the teen laughed awkwardly.

"We're having so much fun"

"Yeah, I haven't seen my mom laugh like that in a long time"

"We should do this more often" Julie took a step closer and Quinn locked eyes with the lady. This was the last thing that she wanted to do tonight. She was supposed to be avoiding the woman and now they were standing at the end of the hallway, alone.

"You look sober" the blond noticed with a tight smile.

"I'm not drinking that much" Julie tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down, suddenly reminding Quinn of a nervous little girl. The image didn't suit her quite well and it reminded the teen of someone else. Julie wasn't supposed to remind her of Rachel. This wasn't supposed to be happening at all.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening" Quinn said with the purpose of going back to the backyard but before she could take a single step Julie's hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Don't go" she whispered with trembling lips and watery eyes. "Please."

"What do you want from me?" Quinn asked as she let herself be pulled closer.

"I just…"

"I'm not a person you want to get involved with" the teen said and after two seconds of consideration she pulled Julie inside the bathroom, closing the door behind them.

"I'm not asking you for anything" the lady tried.

"Then what do you want? What we did it's done but I can't give you anything else"

"I'm not…" Julie swallowed the pried that was fighting against her and she reached out to hold Quinn's shirt and pull her closer. "I just want you to kiss me"

"That's not what I meant" Quinn shook her head, still very aware of the resemblance of the woman with Rachel and for some reason that's the only motive why she wasn't pulling away. "I won't jump into anything with you Julie. You need to understand that"

"I'm not asking you for something like that"

"Then what do you want?" the blonde begged to know. She knew that the smart thing to do was to get out of that bathroom but Quinn couldn't leave. Something was keeping her in there with Julie and it was very confusing but not scary enough to make her run. The truth was, she wanted Julie and she couldn't deny it.

"I just want you. One more time" Julie begged and Quinn's rational thinking flew out of the window at the admission.

As she crashed her lips against Julie's she realized that all she wanted from the woman was exactly what she was about to get, sex. It was the desire to have her again, the excitement of knowing that she was doing something so wrong that didn't allow her to stop. She felt invincible and she couldn't really complain about the deal either. She promised herself right there, as she squeezed Julie's breasts with force above her silk dress that this will be the last time that she indulged in any kind of activity with Julie at all.

"God" Julie moaned softly as Quinn took her rushed kisses down her chin and neck, her hands never stilling as she pushed the woman's dress up her hips to be able to tuck her fingers on her panties and pushed them down in a hurry.

There was nothing romantic about this and Quinn was going to make sure that she didn't look at Julie's eyes while they did it for a second time; she was not going to make that same mistake twice. Quinn just wanted sex and she wasn't going to worry about what Julie wanted, even if she felt a pang of guilt on her chest at the mere thought.

With her panties on the floor, Julie didn't waste any time and worked fast on Quinn's pants as the teenager refused to look up at her. The throbbing between her legs was unbearable and it almost overshadowed the guilt, but only almost. It felt worse than the first time.

"Quinn" she hissed softly when the teen bit her shoulder as she squeezed her member. It was embarrassing the kind of pride that showered Julie when she felt how aroused Quinn was.

At the feeling of Julie's hands squeezing her Quinn's mind focused on the task at hand and nothing more. She felt like she was about to explode if she didn't get inside the woman. She pushed the dress up higher as Julie pushed down her boxers along with her pants.

Quinn took a moment to look down and see how hard she had gotten with just the thought of having Julie again. Her cock stood proudly between their bodies as Julie shivered with anticipation in front of her. Quinn took off her shirt and picked the woman up before pushing her against her door.

"Are you sure you want this again?" she whispered in the woman's ear but Julie was already reaching down and guiding her cock to her wet lips, rubbing Quinn on her slit before pushing the cock down to her entrance.

The teen smirked before she pushed all the way inside the woman. She barely heard the intake of breath coming from Julie because she was too busy trying to control herself at the moment. There was something about Julie, Quinn didn't know what but she felt so delicious and addictive, and all Quinn wanted to do was _fuck_ her raw against that door. Fuck her hard until she screamed. She wanted to turn her into a verbose mess.

She pulled back her hips and thrust back inside with force, but still all Julie did was hold onto her tighter and lose her breath. Quinn thrust harder and each time she put a little more force but Julie didn't utter a word, not even her name fell from the woman's lips and Quinn finally pulled back her face to look at her.

Julie's face was flushed and her lips were parted but she wasn't making any noises. For some reason this made Quinn rage with a new desire and as she locked her eyes with Julie's she picked up her pace and put as much force as she could manage in each thrust with the intention of make her scream.

Her legs started to burn for holding Julie's weight up and her hands weren't doing any better, and Quinn was aware that if a scream came to be, everyone in the living would be able to hear but she needed Julie to come apart in her arms.

She picked up her pace again as Julie's breath started to cut and little whimpers erupted in sync with Quinn's hard thrusts. The blonde smiled at hearing the little sounds and it only made her speed up her movements. Julie bit her lip to keep herself from saying anything but Quinn was hitting every single spot inside of her that were threatening to make her lose consciousness and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to hold any longer.

"Quinn" she finally breathed out a plea but Quinn only thrust harder than before. Those hazel eyes were staring at her with such intensity that were daring her to make a sound and Julie couldn't hold back anymore when she felt her orgasm hit her from within, spreading all over her body and electrifying her clit with multiple spasms, but as soon as her mouth dropped open Quinn's lips were pressed against hers, impending her from letting everyone know what they were doing in the bathroom.

"You look so sexy when you're coming" Quinn whispered in her ear right before Julie felt the warm and thick release of the teen painting her walls from inside. She could have seen Quinn's face as she orgasm had she been able to open her eyes for more than a second.

Quinn moved her hips slowly and in circles as she rested her forehead on Julie's shoulder, allowing them both to enjoy till the last shock of ecstasy washed over them. Carefully, she put Julie down as she slipped out of the woman. She handed her a couple of paper towels quickly when she noticed the mess in the woman's pussy and thighs.

She looked like a mess herself. Quinn wasn't going to be able to deny that she just had sex in the bathroom to her friends when she went back to the backyard and she knew it, only this time she wasn't going to deny Puck the details that he'd want.

If she wanted Julie to be just another girl, she needed to treat her exactly like that.

She fixed her clothes and picked up her shirt from the floor in silence, she washed her face and even combed her hair before she finally looked at her lover for the night. Julie looked… devastated and it was such a familiar look for Quinn that –not for the first time- she wondered why she did this to girls.

"I really need to get back" she said and watched as Julie nodded, unsure of what to do next. "So, have a good rest of the night, alright?" her hand was about to grab the handle when Julie spoke.

"So that's it?" the woman asked with a broken tone and eyes on the floor.

"Of course this is it" Quinn forced herself to chuckle and forced herself even harder to walk to the woman and raise her chin with her fingers. "This is all I'm ever going to be good at. You don't want that" she pressed her lips together in a kiss that felt very much like a break up kiss for both of them. "I'll see you around. Mrs. Karofsky."

"Don't call me that" the woman said stepping back from Quinn and finally meeting her gaze.

"We won't do this again" said Quinn before she got out of the bathroom and then leaned on the other side of the door with a heavy sigh.

Crystal's words were still very present in her mind and she wanted to regret what just happened but there was a part of her that didn't. Even so, she didn't need to get caught in the middle of _that_ kind of drama. There was a family involved, friends involved and she definitely didn't want to lose any chance that she might have with Rachel.

Crystal's words have been rounding her mind for the last two days. Of course Crystal was right. Rachel wasn't just another girl and Quinn didn't have just a crush for her and right now looking at her life from a different perspective she wasn't so sure if she was going to be able to live a normal life with all the 'what ifs' that already plagued her mind every day in her future.

What if she was wrong and didn't end up holding Rachel back? What if she just talked to the girl and asked her out? What if after all everything worked out? What if Rachel felt the same way? What if she didn't end up being rejected? What if she was exactly what Rachel needed?

She needed answers for those questions and she had a summer to figure everything out, and she didn't need Julie or Jennifer holding her back from that.

…


	5. A little change never hurts

Hi guys, I'm glad you're liking the changes because this one has the bigger ones yet. You're finally meeting Rachel. (yay!) Don't be mean with Puck, in this fic he's an okay guy, loyal more than anything and a great friend that Quinn and Santana can always count on. Julie is not entirely disappearing, you'll see more of her soon, really soon and then some. I'm glad you like her as well and I read something else in the reviews saying that Rachel was virginal and a very innocent creature, weeeelllll, she's not.

Enjoy!

* * *

**5. A little change never hurts**

As Rachel Berry sat in the middle of her bed in a quiet summer evening she couldn't help to analyze her decisions lately.

When the school year had ended, she had been dating Finn Hudson, the quarterback of the football team of her High School and she had welcomed summer with the silly illusion that things were about to change for the better. A week into summer however, Finn had broken up with her via text and without a proper explanation of why.

That had been two weeks ago and up until this very moment she had yet to cry and she had honestly been confused at the beginning because she had _tried_. She had lay in bed and forced herself to _feel_ for the boy but she hadn't and as the days went by the reason of why started to become clearer.

She had pursued Finn because of what he represented. She wasn't popular in school but the need to be was bigger than she wished it was. Finn was perfect to achieve what she wanted, if she could have made him her boyfriend then her reputation will considerably have grown, but that hadn't been the case. Finn had always been a little hesitant to take her out on dates and only held her hand when they were in her room or at the movies. So her reputation hadn't improved and eventually Finn had realized that she wasn't worth the trouble.

But why?

She liked to believe that she was determined and she was driven but she also understood that these qualities sometimes were taken as being annoying by others. She was a person who would offer an honest opinion and constructive criticism when she thought appropriate and she often tried to be as insightful as she could for the good of others, but her opinion was never appreciated and when she raised her hand in class she was often told to _shut up_ by her classmates. She wasn't liked and she was finally understanding why.

She knew herself very well and she knew to perfection what she needed to do to accomplish her goals in life and she had some. She was confident, she knew she had a good physic –she worked out daily after all- and she knew she wasn't ugly. She didn't fully believe that she was the most beautiful girl in school but she was pretty, she knew she was. Her self-esteem was intact even after having endured all the bullying in high school that was thrown her way. She had dated the quarterback after all but there was something off with everything.

She was a member of several clubs in school; she maintained straight A's in her record to keep her parents proud and her options for the future open wide. She was polite, punctual, responsible and above it all, patient.

She had done so many things to ensure a good future, to gain popularity, to keep her parents proud but she was still a friendless girl, with no boyfriend and the opposite of popular and she finally understood the reason why in the last two weeks while she locked herself in her room, pretending to be sad about a break-up that she didn't really care.

She wasn't happy, she wasn't happy and everything started to make sense from there.

She started by analyzing her very bedroom. She didn't like the yellow walls, she hated the pink carpet on the floor and the green pillow was seriously about to make her sick. She didn't like the itchy sweaters she had been wearing to school for the last two years but they were birthday presents and Chanukah gifts from her bubbies and zaydes, and she didn't have the heart to just put them aside and she just realized that that hadn't made her happy.

She couldn't keep waiting to be happy, she had to take action and make her own happiness and she needed to start with the closest things for her and that was her bedroom and everything that she considered personal.

At first, her parents were a little worried when Rachel came down with several bags containing her sweaters and pink duvets, carpets and sheets telling them that she was going to wash those and then donate them, but they supported her because she had always been a mature little girl and if she was reorganizing herself over the summer then they'd support her, just like they did with every choice that she made.

Her mom took her out to shop when Rachel asked her and was indulged in a very uncommon shopping trip with her daughter. Shelby was used to her daughter's love for skirts but as she saw Rachel buying jean after jean and converse instead of doll shoes she grew a little suspicious. Later that afternoon when she found her only daughter erasing her MySpace account she had sat her down and asked her if everything was alright, to what Rachel had only told her that she couldn't wait to stop pleasing people and just be her.

"You know you don't have to change just for people to like you" Shelby had explained.

"I'm not changing for them, mom. I'm doing this for myself. All this time I've been doing things that I thought were appropriate or right just for the sake of a compliment but I'm not going to do that anymore."

Shelby wasn't a stranger to what her daughter had to endure at school, so watching Rachel finally realize that she didn't need the approval from anyone but herself made her the proudest parent to ever exist.

"I'm going to wear what I want to wear. I'm going to say what I want to say and not because it's what people expect from me. I'm going to just be me and if that isn't good enough for others, then it's their lost, not mine."

…

Santana wasn't exactly known for her tact. She liked to believe that she was as real as you could get. She said what was on her mind and did what suited her best and if that made her a bitch then she was okay with it. And as she sat on the food patio at the mall criticizing everyone's poor fashion sense as she waited for Puck she didn't feel bad in the slightest when she caught sight of Ms. Pillsbury wearing nothing but a freaking rainbow shirt with red pants and high heels, and didn't wave back when she was acknowledged.

No, she didn't know that person that looked like a walking circus.

For the last two weeks of summer she had been bored to death because apparently her two best friends had decided to start a cleaning pool business without including her, not that she would work in summer anyway but they hadn't even asked and it stung.

As a rarity, it happened that Quinn was too busy doing who-knows-what with her mom and Puck was finally available to hang out but he was running late, not a surprise there.

She was growing mad and she was about to leave when she caught sight of something that made her sit down again. Walking towards her was none other than Rachel Berry and she looked nothing like the girl that Santana had seen on the last day of school a little more than a month ago.

Santana wasn't Rachel's biggest fan and she'd be the first to admit it. The girl was annoying, had a superiority complex and never knew when to shut up, but –and this was a big BUT- Quinn liked her for some weird reason and Quinn didn't just like her in the –oh you look like you might be cool- way, Quinn liked, liked her.

But the last time that Santana saw Rachel, she was pretty sure that the girl didn't even know the meaning of fashion sense or appropriate make-up, so the Rachel that she now saw definitely caught her attention.

Rachel was not wearing a skirt, doll shoes and one of her many ugly animal sweaters. Rachel was wearing tight jeans, flat black boots and a simple –yet fashionable- top. Her hair was straightened and all Santana could think of is how _hot_ the girl actually looked and she wasn't blind to the looks Rachel was getting from a lot of people around either; a lot of people that went to their school.

Okay, fine. Santana had a minor problem with staying out of people's business as well but this was important. This girl held Quinn's heart, even if Quinn was still in denial and Rachel didn't know, and even when the entire situation stunk for Santana, not that she would ever admit that out loud either.

She and Quinn had had a good run. Quinn was her first everything and she will always love her but their relationship had been more than a little chaotic. They were too much alike to lead a romantic and healthy relationship but just perfect to be friends and that's what they were, _best friends_.

"Well, well, well" she didn't even know when she stood up and walked towards Rachel but she was there now and she needed to know the reasons behind the make-over and not just because she always loved a good gossip.

"Hi, Santana" Rachel said as she retrieved her I-phone from the back pocket of her jeans. Santana noticed the slight change in the girl's tone as well and realized that this wasn't just a wardrobe change.

"I see you threw the argyle sweaters away. Good for you" she mockingly clapped her hands and Rachel finally looked up at her.

"Have a nice day" the brunette said before she tried to surround Santana.

"Oh, come on. Get back here" Santana half demanded but Rachel turned around either way. "What happened to you? Finally realized that you looked like a dork?" she masked her shocked at Rachel's attitude with another snarky question.

"Actually yes" Rachel smiled easily.

"Wow" Santana laughed, this was too easy for her. "Did Finn tell you to change your clothes if you wanted to keep dating him or something?"

"I haven't heard from him since three weeks ago. We broke up" Rachel explained even though she certainly didn't need to.

Santana grew silent but only for a second. Internally, she was glad that Rachel finally had let go of the boy because he was obviously not the right guy for her and this also meant that Rachel was available.

"I'm glad you're free from golden boy Finn" she found herself saying and even caught the small smile that graced Rachel's lips for a split second. So what? They were teammates in Glee, she had to care for Rachel, she just had to! It was like a rule or something.

"I'm glad too" Rachel said and without another word she nodded at Santana before she walked away from her.

Santana sat back down to wait for Puck –who still hasn't arrived- and really thought about what just happened. She wasn't an expert on how people's minds worked but she wasn't completely oblivious to character development.

She had noticed the immense need that Rachel had to please other people in the past but most of the time Santana was inclined to believe that she did it for her own benefit and that's why no one really liked the little midget, so she could –_try to_- understand how Rachel could have grown tired of that.

It concerned her and she would never admit this but she was actually afraid of what Rachel was about to face now. The people from their school were really terrible people. Most of them were willing to do anything to be popular, even if that meant bully or date whoever was a little higher or lower on the social pyramid. It was pathetic and she was glad that she was hot because she didn't need to do any of those things to be at the top. She already was just because of the power of her killer looks and quick jabs. But Rachel had never experienced that and if she carried on with the way she looked now, it was inevitable that people were going to notice her -as more than the annoying little diva- now and Santana wasn't sure if Rachel could handle that.

…

"Pizza is ordered" Quinn announced returning to the living where Puck and Santana were currently exchanging a tentative look. "What's up with you?" she nervously chuckled at her two best friends before Puck looked away and Santana mumbled 'pussy' under her breath.

"You'd never believe who I saw earlier while you were playing responsible for once in your life" Santana hinted.

"I was with my mom all morning" Quinn jumped in defense but not put out by Santana's comment. It pained her to say that she was used to the harmless jabs of her ex. "I've been thinking" she quickly added, stealing the floor from Santana.

"Well that's a surprise" ignoring Santana's comment and gathering courage Quinn continued.

"I've been thinking that I really want to ask Rachel out" when both of her friends stayed silent and stared at her with matching wide eyes, she explained further. "On a date, you know? I mean Santana is always saying that I need to grow a pair and do something, and I was thinking that I really don't want to wait anymore, you know? We don't really know what she'll say so I have to try"

Quinn was extremely nervous as she told her friends this and Santana felt her heart constrict against her chest and not for the first time because of Quinn.

"I saw her yesterday at the mall" Quinn's eyes widen comically and Santana just had to roll her eyes at that reaction. "She told me that she and Finn are no longer an item so this is definitely your chance to do something."

Quinn hadn't even though about Finn but it was still great news to hear.

"Have you seen her lately?" Puck asked as he eyed her suspiciously.

Earlier in the morning when he finally made it to the mall, he had gotten there with the perfect excuse and great gossip material because he knew just how much Santana loved gossip.

"No, I haven't" Quinn admitted a little regretfully. She had been thinking of visiting Rachel but every time she was about to, she realized that she didn't have a good reason to do it, other than really wanting to see the girl.

Quinn was oblivious and Puck looked at Santana again searching for help. They had to break it down at some point. That's why they had insisted in spending the night at Quinn's after all.

_Santana's jaw had almost hit the ground when Puck showed her Rachel's Facebook profile on his phone. _

"_She sent you a friend request?" she had asked and shrugged off the feeling of jealousy because she hadn't received one from the girl._

"_Yes, last night but look at the rest of the pics" Puck was eager and as they slid through the pictures on Rachel's profile, Santana's eyes kept getting wider and okay, she wasn't drooling, alright?_

_But Puck wouldn't have blamed her if she was because Rachel looked absolutely _sexy_ on those pictures and Santana was amazed by how natural the girl looked in every single one of them. The profile picture was one of Rachel taking the sun by the pool wearing the tiniest bikini that Santana has ever seen and the smile on her face was free and joyful. The pictures showed a Rachel that neither one of them knew and the comments were so many that even if Santana wanted to take a look at all of them she wouldn't have had the time._

_Just like Santana had suspected before Puck arrived, half of the population of their school had already taken an interest in Rachel's change and although the girl seemed to have everything under control Puck and Santana knew just how obsessive Rachel could get when she was receiving any kind of positive attention. _

_Some of the jocks and guys from the hockey team were already showing interest in dating the girl and many proposals showed on her profile already. _

"Have you checked Facebook?" Santana asked, a little irritated because Quinn had the habit of leaving her Facebook account unattended for weeks.

"No, you know I don't like it as much as you do" it was an understatement and they all knew it.

"Well, you should" Puck said, shifting a little uncomfortably on his spot on the carpet floor of Quinn's room.

Quinn finally took the time to really look at her best friends and noticed their tense postures, so she tentatively moved to her desk and turned on her laptop. Silence enveloped her room as she waited for the system to bust on.

Santana really hated to do this to Quinn. A part of her –a very large part of her- wanted to just tell her friend everything and help her see that the world was not ending but the rational part of her knew Quinn like the palm of her hand that's why she knew that the blonde needed the visual prove to begin with. Besides, she wasn't going to be a bitch when Quinn needed her to be a friend.

"You said you saw Rachel at the mall?" Quinn asked from her chair. She was growing impatient and her friends were acting too suspicious for her liking.

"Yeah, she looked smoking" Santana shrugged when Quinn looked at her with a surprised expression. "Just keeping it real."

Suddenly Quinn was feeling more than a little impatient. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and she quickly opened the internet tab and logged into her Facebook account. Puck was surprisingly quiet as he stared at her from the floor.

"Instead of looking like creeps you could just tell me what's going on, you know?" she spitted, the last drop of patience evaporating when they still didn't say anything. Scrawling through all the notifications and friend requests she finally saw something that caught her attention.

She hadn't read it wrong, it actually said _Rachel B. Berry_ but last time Quinn had checked –and this was one of the very few reasons why she checked her Facebook account from time to time- Rachel hadn't had an account and now, as Quinn took a second and then a third look to the profile picture she was still having issues with believing her eyes.

She clicked on the profile and gasped in surprise at the cover picture that appeared before her eyes. Her mouth watered as her eyes raked over the photography and she chuckled nervously. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing but she couldn't deny it either. Rachel had taken pictures of herself wearing the smallest bikini that Quinn had ever lay eyes on and she was posing for the camera with a content smile on her lips as her long, wavy hair framed her beautiful –and slightly flushed- face.

"Wow" she gasped, her voice coming out an octave higher than normal and Puck and Santana finally stoop up behind her.

"She sent you a friend request too?" Santana demanded to know.

"You're just angry you didn't get one" Puck mocked her but Quinn's eyes were glued to the pictures. Sure, her eyes weren't deceiving her.

Then something caught her eye. The comments. She clicked on the albums and came to see the hundreds of comments left in each one of the pictures. It seemed like everyone in Lima had suddenly come to the realization of just how unique, beautiful and extremely talented Rachel was just because she was showing some skin in a few pictures on Facebook.

She hit the desk, the anger she felt in that moment being too much to hold back.

This was the reaction that Santana knew was coming. Quinn would see right through the bullshit of everyone else. She knew her friend would be pissed but as Quinn hit the desk for a second time before standing up and reaching straight for her phone Santana jumped and snitched it before Quinn could get a hold of it.

"What are you doing?" Quinn barked the question.

"Okay, let's chill. We have to talk" Puck tried to intervene.

"You have to calm the fuck down before you go all prince in shining armor on the midget's ass" Santana's voice raised and Quinn turned back around to click on yet another provocative picture of Rachel in her white bikini.

"Are you seeing this?" she pointed to the screen. "Have you read the comments? Did you see what Rick wrote to her?" her voice was getting louder and her anger was rising right along with it.

"Rachel won't fall for that" Puck tried again.

"And Adam, Christian, Alex, Jimmy, David, Daniel? The entire fucking hockey team has left her an invitation to go out on a date!"she turned back around again, her eyes wide as she stared at her best friends. "This is Rachel we're talking about here, Rachel who likes the attention."

Then she fell on her bed. She felt the sting of tears burning her pride as she cursed herself for being too damn slow. She knew Rachel had some qualities that more often than not were poorly focused, like her obsession with being popular and all these boys were offering just that and not because of any right reason but just the vain discovery that Rachel Berry has been keeping her goddess curves like hidden under her adorable –and also despised- clothes that Quinn just happened to find adorable.

She could imagine everything turning out just like it had with Finn Hudson and she was not so sure if she was going to be able to go through that torture for a second time.

"What happened?" she gripped the sheets in her fists when she heard her cracked voice.

"The world isn't ending, get a grip of yourself" Santana barked back.

"Look, I heard she's going out with Daniel tomorrow night" Puck informed them. He didn't like this situation any more than Quinn did. Quinn was his best friend and he didn't like to see her suffering and this was obviously taking a toll on his best blond but he needed to tell her everything he knew if it helped.

"Daniel?" Quinn asked horrified. She ran her hands on her face and ordered herself not to cry.

"This is only a first date" Puck sat down beside her, his eyes still looking for Santana's as he rubbed Quinn's back.

"Quinn?" Santana kneeled down; grabbing the blonde's hands but Quinn wasn't looking at her.

This couldn't be a normal reaction and in this moment Quinn could stop pretending and just accept that her feelings for Rachel went further than she was ready to admit a couple of days ago out of fear but she couldn't cheat herself into believing that Rachel had taken a rushed decision. She knew Rachel never rushed into anything without having considered every option available before. This change, this new Facebook account, the new clothes, even the joyful smile were signs of a deeper change, something that no one knew.

So, who was Rachel now? Quinn wasn't sure. She thought she knew the girl but she obviously didn't. Their superficial friendship had never evolved into anything but, and now Quinn wasn't sure about asking the girl out on a date anymore because then she'd be doing exactly what everyone else was doing via-Facebook and she didn't want to be just another girl for Rachel Berry. That wasn't an option.

"Q-ball, look at me" the nickname made Quinn looked up into dark soft eyes. "Let's not overreact, okay?"

"I'm not" Quinn chuckled dryly and looked back down.

"So what? Rachel is going on a date with Daniel and you're suddenly giving up before giving it a proper go?" Quinn frowned and met Santana's challenging gaze. "If I recall something that I always found appealing about you, that something is your determination Quinn. Now, you like Berry for some strange, weird, completely out of the question reason. No really, Q. Why do you even…?"

"She gets it" Puck interrupted her. Santana only rolled her eyes at him. Rude.

"You like her and even though you've been kicking yourself into believing that she can do better without you" Santana gave her a pointed look, silently letting her know that she wasn't as blind as Quinn thought she was. "You need to step up your game before someone else takes the ball. You know why? Because if Rachel is worth the trouble then I can assure you that she'll be the luckiest girl to have you. Quinn, you are so much more than you think you are and this –even though far from conventional- is your cue to go after what you love. You deserve to be happy."

The moisture in Quinn's eyes couldn't be hidden as different emotions hit her at once. She could see the pain in Santana's eyes and internally regretted so many things but at the same time, Santana was the one giving her courage even though she was hurting in the way and as usual, the brunette was right.

"Daniel is a dick anyway. Rachel won't return his calls after one date" Puck rolled his eyes as he added into the conversation.

"So, you're going to call her" Santana said placing the I-phone back in Quinn's hand. "You're going to tell her that she looks good in those pictures and that you'll love to take her out sometime. Alright?"

Quinn nodded as she unblocked her phone and scrawled down her contacts until her eyes saw Rachel's name reflecting back. The nervous that usually came when anything Rachel related presented itself making her palms sweat.

Puck and Santana held their breaths as Quinn pressed the call button.

…

Rachel's phone rang somewhere in her bedroom and for a moment she thought about not answering. She had been getting so many texts and calls from people she hadn't actually met but had been her classmates for a couple of years. She wasn't as doll as everyone else seemed to believe she was.

She had gotten exactly the kind of reaction she was expecting, not that it mattered anymore. She hadn't done it for the attention or the credit and definitely not for the complements but she was getting all of those anyway. She shook her head at thinking about how much she'd have loved this a month ago.

Lima wasn't very big and everyone seemed to know everyone else's business, so she could understand why she was getting so much attention. She had been a geek in school and now she wasn't anymore. But what got to her the most was that she wasn't trying. She had opened a Facebook account, bought new clothes and redesigned her room because of her, because she wanted to and because it felt good to do what she had been wanting to do for some time but she hadn't been looking for approval. Not this time.

She was finally being herself and people had started to notice her.

If this wasn't irony laughing at her face, she didn't know what it was.

Her phone started ringing again and she stood up to see an unknown number flashing back. She answered.

"Hello?"

"_Hi, Rach. This is Quinn_" came the melodic voice and Rachel smiled a small smile. Her friendship with Quinn was tentative to put it lightly, Rachel wasn't as oblivious as Quinn thought she was. Quinn was too sweet with her, too careful, caring and even protective of her, so realizing that the blond had a crush on her hadn't been that difficult and Rachel would have taken the time to consider Quinn as more than just a friend if it wasn't for the blonde's record with women.

"Oh, hey. How are you?"

"_Good, thank you. I – I just – I accepted your friend request on Facebook_" Rachel chuckled at the admission. She had listened to the same line a few times today but Quinn was the first one to sound like a nervous wreck while saying it.

"Thanks, Quinn" she laughed a little louder this time as Quinn cleared her throat on the other side of the line.

"_I really like your pictures, Rachel_" the smile disappeared from Rachel's face instantly. She had actually been waiting for a call from Quinn to recite pretty little nothings like all the other studs from school had been doing all day, so she shouldn't have been surprised.

"Thanks" she said dryly.

"_You look amazing in them_" Quinn chuckled nervously as Rachel eyed the clock on her wall. She had accepted Rick's invitation to a movie tonight and if she didn't hurry she was going to be late. Dates were never on the table before for her to pick from and she didn't want to stay locked in her room for the rest of the summer.

"Thank you, Quinn. Look, as lovely as it is to talk to you, I need to go"

"_No, no wait. I need to ask you something_" the blonde stopped her.

"What's that?"

"_I was wondering if we could – well, maybe we could go out someday. Would you – would you like to go out with me?_" Rachel might have blushed and smiled wider than she intended at hearing Quinn's nervousness but truth was, she wasn't interested in being another notch in Quinn's bed post. She knew that a date didn't really mean that they were going to end in bed but Quinn had a reputation and Rachel wasn't looking to complicate her life with another heartbreaker. She had done that with Finn and she wasn't impressed.

"Sure" she knew that she wouldn't be keeping that promise to Quinn.

"_Great_" Rachel almost felt bad at hearing the blonde's excited tone, almost. "_Maybe this weekend?_"

"I'll let you know. This is your number, right?"

"_Yeah_"

"I'll save it and I'll let you know" she was aware that giving false hope was wrong but she really didn't want to deal with any drama and she had a date in less than an hour.

"_Okay_" Quinn said a little less enthusiastic.

"Bye, Quinn."

Rachel hung up before Quinn could say anything back and that's how the brunette actually preferred it. She wasn't looking for a relationship, she had done that with Finn and it hadn't worked out. She was going to enjoy what she got in a daily manner. It was freeing, exciting and it just felt _good_ to not worry about what would happen if she did or said something wrong because there were no expectations.

So maybe she had been right when the summer began and she believed that it was going to be the best one of her life, it was just turning out to be a different one than she thought it would but it was proving to be just what she needed.

…


	6. A little talk sometimes is all you need

Hi, lovelies. Let me start by addressing some of your questions before we move on.

Quile? Juinn? I actually like those. Don't worry this ship is on sale, although I should probably point out that it might not be in the way that you expect it to be. Well, Quinn's feelings for Rachel are not recently found. She's liked Rachel for a while now, -almost two years- and while she had been a little adamant to admit these feelings, they have always been there. Three chapters by week seem a little too much for me, I'll just stick with two for now.

Thank you for liking those changes, really and for those who want to read the previous version? I don't recommend it, really. It's kind of…. Idk but for those who did, thank you for your support. Oh! And I'm going to be answering your questions in my tumbl so if you have any, make sure to drop it by.

Enjoy.

* * *

**5.1 A little talk sometimes is all you need**

It had been two weeks since Quinn asked Rachel on a date and the girl still hasn't returned any of her calls, and as much as the blonde wanted to keep it cool, it was really starting to get to her.

Rachel's business had suddenly become everyone's business. Everyone kept talking about how good she looked now and how great she was to hang out with, which confused Quinn to no end. On one part she was glad that Rachel was enjoying herself –if all the pictures on Facebook were any indication of that- but on the other hand she didn't trust any of it. These people had been ignoring Rachel a month ago and now they were suddenly her best friends? All those cheerleaders and jocks didn't really know the girl but Rachel didn't seem to care at all.

Maybe this was Rachel confirming Quinn's fears that she wasn't good enough to date her and the thought alone hurt more than she was willing to accept. The whole knowledge of Rachel's activities were like having a knife stuck in her chest and every time that Santana or Puck came to her and told her about a new hot date that Rachel apparently had the previous night, it was like having that knife pushed a little bit further inside.

So far everyone seemed to be worthy of Rachel's time and honored to take her on a date, everyone but Quinn.

The situation was affecting her more than she was ready to admit. She had cancelled on Puck and Santana more than a couple of times in the last two weeks because she couldn't stop thinking about what she could possibly do to be worthy of Rachel's time but every time she thought of something, it was never good enough and she would quickly discard the idea. Every text had gone ignored, every call sent to voicemail. She couldn't stop thinking about Rachel and growing incredibly jealous of all those boys from school that the brunette wasn't turning down as easily.

The worst thing wasn't even sit and wait, it was knowing that all those people wouldn't be able to appreciate Rachel in all that she is and it angered her even more knowing that the small possibility that someone would existed.

Her mother was starting to worry and Quinn honestly wanted to shrug it off and tell Judy that everything was okay but the truth was that she felt everything but. She just kept going through every moment she's shared with Rachel and trying to figure out if the brunette ever gave a sign that she didn't enjoy Quinn's company but every time the blonde resulted empty handed. In fact, all that Rachel has been able to do is inspire the blonde, one way or another and through it all there was never a sign that the brunette might find her annoying or something of the sort.

Weather Rachel was singing, dancing or giving the Glee Club a talk, all that Rachel has done has somehow affected Quinn, made her think about her own future and even if she's still unsure of what to do next, Rachel has made it clear that following your dreams would never be a disappointment and the blonde was starting to believe that. Her future wasn't so black and white anymore and it was thanks to Rachel.

Maybe Santana was right all along and she should have done something sooner because everyone was starting to realize just how amazing and perfect Rachel really is. They were finally taking the time to see beyond the animal sweaters and doll shoes, and Quinn was scared out of her mind that she might actually have lost any chance that she could have had if she had been brave enough.

All of her fantasies suddenly seemed much more distant to achieve than before. She had never held Rachel's hand, or kiss her lips, not even called her sweet names or take her out on a date. She had never called Rachel her girlfriend and now maybe, she never will.

Her phone vibrated on the table one more time but Quinn still didn't check the texts she has been getting. She was at the mall by herself. Santana had invited her to her house to spend the morning but Quinn was pretty sure that she wouldn't be visiting Santana any time soon. Puck was starting to get irritated with her, Quinn could tell but she couldn't bring herself to hang with the boy when she couldn't stop thinking and kicking herself for everything that was happening with Rachel, or wasn't happening really.

The mall was safe since she knew where her friends were and she couldn't stay in her room a minute longer without feeling like she might be losing her mind. At least outside of the Converse store she could plan on buying those black classical pair of beautiful Converse on the exhibit window at the end of the summer.

"Smoke is coming out of your ears, you know?" Quinn looked up instantly recognizing the voice and a smile was already tugging at her lips as Julie Karofsky sat her bags on the floor before leaning down to hug the teen.

"Hi, Julie. It's good to see you" Quinn returned the hug and offered the seat in front of her to the woman, who gladly took it. The teen shook her head and chuckled to herself because she felt extremely comfortable with the lady and it wasn't supposed to be that way but then nothing had turned out the way it was supposed to with Julie since the beginning of their -complicated- relationship.

They hadn't seen each other since Judy's party but there was a familiarity about their encounter that was just so relaxing and not all uncomfortable.

"It's good to see you too, Quinn. How you've been?" the woman smiled easily.

"Good, just working and helping mom around. All is good" the blonde nodded, her mind drifting for a brief second to Rachel and how alike the woman sitting in front of her was to the girl. Was that what attracted her to Julie in the first place? That she looks so much like Rachel?

"You're not a very good liar, honey" Julie pointed out and Quinn rolled her eyes playfully. If she could get a quarter for every time that she's heard that, she'd be a millionaire by now.

"That's what she said" Quinn smiled as Julie laughed. It should have felt weird to be at the mall with Dave's mom but Quinn felt completely at ease. "Aren't you worry that you're seen with me?" she asked curiously.

"Why would I be?" Julie shrugged.

"No reason" Quinn replied. There was really no reason for it. Quinn had known Julie all her life thanks to Judy. Julie was really like family.

Looking at the woman sitting in front of her, Quinn couldn't believe that she had had the pleasure and the honor to even kiss the lady. Julie was truly a sight to behold, everything about her screamed class and sophistication. She was a beautiful woman, her hair was perfect, her body looked like the one of a twenty year old and her eyes, her eyes were Quinn's favorite part of her. They were a deep chocolate color and they always looked at Quinn with care, with playfulness, with secrecy.

"Have you had lunch?" Julie asked her.

"No, I haven't been home since this morning and mom is working late" Quinn hadn't even realized that it was already past two in the afternoon and at the mention of food she suddenly became aware that she was very hungry.

"I haven't eaten either, let's order something" Julie motioned for a waiter to get close.

"Are Dave and Mia back yet?" what Quinn really wanted to ask was if Julie didn't have to feed her kids instead of her.

"No, they'll be here next week" suddenly Julie's eyes met Quinn's and the innuendo wasn't lost on the teen who quickly looked away.

Quinn ended up getting up and ordering their food because apparently Julie had forgotten that they were at the mall in the food court.

"So, want to tell me what has your mind all preoccupied?" the woman leaned closer as Quinn shrugged. She didn't want Julie to know what was on her mind but in all honesty, she needed to talk to someone who wasn't Santana or Puck.

"I just – I have a lot in my head, that's all"

"You can talk to me. I might be able to offer you some advice. I do take some lead on the age department between you and me, you know?" Julie winked jokingly and Quinn shook her head laughing. This woman was really something else.

"Thanks" Quinn sincerely said after a moment.

"You know? Sometimes all you need is just get away for a moment. Block out all the problems and take a moment for yourself. Everything has a solution in this life."

Quinn stared at the woman as she let her words sink. Everything has a solution. It sounded so simple and yet, it was so complicated to grasp.

"Not everything though"

"Technically no" Julie conceded. "No one has found a solution for death but for all the rest, we're good."

Quinn laughed again, even though her chest was closing in. She didn't want to mention the name of another girl to Julie, for some reason that didn't seem right.

"Do you have a getaway place?" Julie asked, pulling the blonde out of her thoughts.

"Not really"

"Maybe you need one. I've found that it always helps to have a place to run to when things get a little too complicated."

"What is your getaway place?" Julie shook her head at Quinn's question, smiling. She knew the question was coming.

"Not a place. I just get in my car and drive"

"Drive where?"

"Nowhere. I just drive until I run out of gas or get to the next town and then I turn around. It clears my mind"

"I can't do that" Quinn thought out loud. The idea of driving without a destination seemed very tempting though.

"What is the thing that you love to do the most?" Julie asked.

"Pictures" the word was out of Quinn's mouth before she realized and then she chuckled humorlessly remembering her father's mocking laugh when she had giving him the same answer years ago.

"Do you like to paint?" asked a slight confused Julie.

"No, photography" Quinn frowned at the admission and shook her head after, avoiding Julie's stare.

"What camera do you have?"

"Not a professional one" Quinn blushed. "I think our food is ready" she stood up to retrieve their orders before Julie could say anything else.

Her father had never been supportive of Quinn's likes. Well, he wasn't supportive of Quinn at all actually. He always had the power to make her feel like a failure even though she had only been eleven by the time her mother finally divorced him. She doesn't have the best of memories of him and she doesn't remember him that much but the hurtful words, the demeaning names he called her seemed to have been permanent attached to her brain and she couldn't push them aside as easily as she had done with his face.

When he had asked about what she wanted to be when she was a grown up, she had answered his question with the illusion that only a kid could have. She had told him that she wanted to be a photographer, only to have him rip her tender dream to shreds with cruel words. She was torn and Russell had made it pretty clear that the arts weren't a career but a waste of time.

She had forgotten about her dream, pushed it to the back of her mind for years and it hasn't been until two years ago when she decided to join the Glee Club that suddenly her dream didn't look so bad or like a waste of time. Rachel was such a bright light that shined with the intensity of her determination in succeeding that Quinn had felt inspired by the girl not even two weeks into the Glee Club. It had been Rachel the one that helped her understand that the arts weren't a waste of time like Russell had said.

As she sat back down with the tray with food her heart felt heavy again. Julie had helped –if only momentarily- in forgetting about why she was hiding at the mall from her friends.

"Is it a girl?" Julie asked after sipping her drink but Quinn didn't look up from her lasagna. "Is it you girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend" _I never did_ she wanted to add but she didn't.

"Did she break up with you?"

"I really don't want to talk about it" Quinn said with finality. Julie raised her hands in a peace offering sign and motioned for the blonde to eat her food.

They hadn't planned on meeting and Julie was truly beginning to believe that it was faith who wanted them to meet today. She wouldn't lie and say that she was over her little _crush_ on the teen because the second she saw Quinn sitting by herself all those emotions had come back at once and practically pushed her in the direction of the girl.

But each time that Julie had talked with Quinn she ended up more confused than before. The girl was truly an enigma still. As they ate in silence surrounded by loud people on shopping trips everything that Julie could focus was the heartbreak making Quinn's eyes shine with sadness.

And her own heart felt like breaking at the sight.

She wouldn't lie and deny that she didn't want Quinn for herself –because that's all she could think about- but she had done her share of deep thinking in the last two weeks and even though Quinn had definitely turned her life around with two _extremely_ passionate encounters, Julie didn't want to complicate their lives. Quinn didn't deserve that and her family didn't deserve that.

She knew how selfish she could be -had always been- but with Quinn, Julie found herself putting the girl's needs before her own and it didn't matter how bad it hurt because the lady realized that someone as sweet and caring like Quinn deserved to be happy and live a normal live without the need of any heavy drama and that was eventually the only thing that Julie could give to her.

What she was about to do turned her into a bit of a masochist but if she could help the pretty blonde that has revived her womanhood without asking for anything in return, then it was worth the pain.

"I'm here for you, Quinn. I don't want things to be awkward between you and I. We had a great time but that's all it was, right?"

Quinn looked taken aback and for several seconds all she did was stare at her. "Of course. I mean, I don't want things to be awkward either. I like talking to you"

"Then we agree. Do you think that we could be friends?" Julie was smiling again but it was a watery smile that didn't convince Quinn to the bone but it was a compromise that she was more than willing to take.

"I'd love to be your friend" she said honestly and reached out to hold one of Julie's hand to squeeze. "Thank you."

"No, thank _you_."

…

The rest of lunch had gone incredibly smoothly and after Quinn helped Julie with her bags she decided to walk home.

The talk she had with Julie had been such a nice turn of events and it left Quinn feeling lighter. A weight has been lifted off her shoulders it seemed, although others seemed to just weight her down by the minute.

Pulling out her phone she noticed texts from Santana and Puck, and other friends but none from the one person that she really wanted to hear from. Scrawling down her contacts she pushed the call button without giving it much of a thought.

"_Hello?_" came Rachel's breathless response.

"Hi, hey. Hi" Quinn hadn't actually been expecting Rachel to answer since she hadn't done it in the last two weeks.

"_Quinn, hi. I'm so sorry I haven't returned any of your texts_" the brunette apologized with a laugh. She still sounded incredibly short of breath.

"Is this a bad time?"

"_No, no. I was just working out but I'm done. Thanks for saving me_" Rachel laughed at her own joke as Quinn thought of the best way to bring up what she really wanted to say.

"How you've been?" she tentatively asked.

"_Good, thanks for asking_"

"And your summer?"

"_It's been… an interesting one. Not good or bad, just interesting_" Quinn's heart did a funny thing where it pounded against her chest and made her feel nostalgic all of the sudden.

"That's not what I've heard" and her voice came softer than she intended it to.

"_And what have you heard, if I may know?_" Quinn reassumed her walking, her hand inching deepen in the pocket on her spent Levis as nervousness consumed her.

"A couple of things" she knew she had no right to say this to Rachel but she wanted to know if she stood a chance.

"_Nothing bad I hope_" Rachel chuckled on the other line as Quinn did her best not to get lost in the sound.

"You never texted back" she closed her eyes and stopped talking. She sounded like a wounded poppy and Rachel probably picked on it.

"_I've been busy but I haven't said no"_ it was involuntarily, really, Quinn didn't mean to get so excited but she did, she couldn't help it.

"I thought you were blowing me off" she admitted, laughing halfheartedly.

"_Why would you think that, Quinn?_"

"Well, you can't blame me"

"_I guess I can't but I'm sorry for making you feel that way_"

"Don't worry about it" the last thing Quinn wanted to do was make Rachel feel guilty about anything. "So, can I still take you out?" she shyly asked.

"_Perhaps, if you play your cards right_" came the playful response and Quinn chuckled lightly.

"Would you let me know if I'm on the right track?"

"_No hints to get to the prize, Quinn_"

"I like this you" Quinn muttered thinking about the quiet and extremely shy version of Rachel but enjoying the playfulness the girl seemed to have been pressing down for so long and that now was floating so effortlessly into their conversation.

"_Ditto. I like me too_" Quinn laughed again. "_How has your summer been?_" Quinn laughed even harder at that. A different kind of nervous hitting her all of the sudden.

"Busy as well. I've been working with Puck" she frowned but Rachel whistled and Quinn was smiling again.

"_I've heard about that. Quite the cleaning pool empire you two are building out there_"

"Yeah, it's not that big" she was blushing and Rachel wasn't even there. "As much as I love to catch up with you, I don't want to do it over the phone"

"_Then what do you suggest?_"

"How about that date?" Quinn cleared her throat and closed her eyes as she waited for Rachel's answer. She had never felt so on the edge before but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing –she realized-.

"_How about it?_" she could hear the smile in Rachel's tone and it tugged at her lips as well. "_I can do Saturday, does that work for you?_"

"Yes, yes. Of course it does. Saturday is perfect" and even if Quinn had plans on Saturday she'd make sure to cancel those in favor on going on a date with Rachel. She didn't care.

"_Then I'll see you on Saturday_"

"I'll see you on Saturday" said a smiling Quinn.

Twenty minutes later when she got to her house, she was still smiling.

…


	7. Not as invisible as I once believed

**7. Not as invisible as I once believed**

When Saturday rolled around Quinn was a nervous wreck but she still cleaned three pools with Puck before she was back at home. Her best friend knew instantly that something was going on and as difficult as it was to dodge all of his questions, Quinn managed. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him, it was the contrary but she was afraid to jinx her date before it happened. She wasn't a firm believer of superstitions but it didn't hurt to be careful.

As she stood in front of her closet she realized that she's never done this before. She's never been too nervous or afraid of what might happen in a date because she knew –or at least she thought she knew- what to do to get what she wanted, and what she usually wanted didn't involve asking for a second date.

Choosing what to wear was a pain, especially because she wanted to make a good impression without coming on like she was trying too hard. Dark jeans were casual, the pair of flat boots too, the red plaid shirt hugged her curves just perfectly and put together it didn't look like she was trying at all.

Judy had agreed for Quinn to have the car for the night and even if she was also very curious about her daughter's attitude, she decided to wait until the next morning to ask any questions.

On her way, Quinn stopped at a flower shop to purchase a bouquet of roses but when her eyes caught sight of the white and beautiful flowers to the left she instantly changed her mind.

"What flowers are those?" she asked the kind looking old man behind the counter.

"Gardenias" he smiled and reached out to hand one to Quinn.

"They are beautiful" the blonde breathed.

"You should take it"

"How much do I owe you?"

The old man smiled at her, his eyes shining with mirth as the young blond stared at the gardenia in her hands. "This one is free. You can pay me back next time. Go on. Take it."

Still in owe, Quinn murmured a soft thank you before getting in her car again. It really was a beautiful flower and she was certain that Rachel will like it.

Summer hadn't turned out the way she expected to, at all. When she had gone to Puck with the idea of cleaning pools to make a little money, what she had honestly been asking was for a distraction. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to sit around the house without driving herself to insanity.

Everything had been so different only a month ago. Rachel had been dating Finn and even though was Quinn was heartbroken because of it, she was still really good at hiding her true feelings. Throwing herself in meaningless sex was easy, she didn't own explanations and even if her reputation wasn't the best, she was free. She could do what she wanted, get what she wanted and still have a free road to explore.

She didn't want a free road anymore. She wanted Rachel, she has wanted to be with the girl for so long that the thought alone of going on a date was enough to make her giddy and as she drove her car towards the brunette's house she was shaking with anticipation. She couldn't wait to start something new and she was willing to do anything and everything to ensure the beginning of something that had the potential to change her life.

…

"Where are you going?" Leroy asked his daughter when she came down the stairs ready to go out.

"On a date daddy" she smiled when his chin went up in the air.

"You've been going out a lot" he noticed with a tense posture. He trusted his daughter with his all but all the dates Rachel's been having lately really put him out a lot. He didn't trust the little punks with his little girl.

"On harmless dates daddy. Nothing to worry about, I'm not looking for anything serious" that certainly didn't calm him one bit.

"Who are you going out tonight?"

"Quinn, Quinn Fabray" he nodded as she checked her purse, then suddenly Leroy smiled and his posture relaxed visibly.

"Judy's kid, right?" Rachel hummed and he smiled a bit wider. "I like her. Be home at eleven" he kissed her forehead before he went down the hallway to his studio. He obviously approved.

Checking the time Rachel realized that Quinn was about to arrive at any minute now. She didn't think that her father would approve of Quinn as much as he did if he knew about the girl's reputation with women. Rachel wasn't sure that _she_ approved but the date wasn't meant to be anything serious, she was barely giving it a go because Quinn had been so persistent about it. It wasn't her place to judge Quinn either. All she knew was that she wasn't going to turn into another girl that the blonde had successfully taken to bed.

At the sound of a car on her driveway Rachel left her house before Quinn could come and ring the bell. Her dad might have not been aware of the girl's rep but Shelby was and Rachel didn't want one of her mother's lectures before she left since there was nothing to worry about.

Quinn was already out of her car by the time Rachel came out and the brunette couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips when she saw just how nervous and adorable the blonde was acting. Quinn held a single flower in her hands and even before she was close enough Rachel recognized it. It was a gardenia, Rachel's favorite. Did Quinn know the meaning behind the flower?

"Hi" Quinn smiled and reached out to hold Rachel's hand. "You look beautiful" she breathed in owe.

"Hi, Quinn. Thank you, you look lovely yourself" Rachel was blushing and she didn't know why. The compliment was surely what Quinn said to every girl she dated. She didn't know why she was feeling special already.

When it was obvious that Quinn wasn't going to say another word, Rachel chuckled lightly. The blonde looked like she couldn't take her eyes off of her and even if she didn't want to, Rachel felt a pull on her chest at the small smile that was permanent on Quinn's face.

"Is that for me?" Rachel asked pointing to the flower and Quinn jumped, blinking and finally realizing that she's been staring. A light blush appeared on her pale cheeks immediately.

"Yes, yes" she handed the gardenia over and felt the need to explain. "I was going to get you a bouquet of roses but when I saw this I thought that it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, just like you" now it was her turn to blush deeply and Rachel chuckled again.

Yes, Quinn was a nervous wreck but at least she managed to be an adorable nervous wreck and it was a nice change from all the jocks Rachel's dated in the last two weeks.

"Thank you"

"It's a gardenia" Quinn smiled again, her burning cheeks finally going back to normal. "Next time I'll get you something else."

The insinuation wasn't lost on Rachel and before Quinn could build her hopes up too high she spoke again. "Are we going?"

"Yes, yes" Quinn held the door open for Rachel to climb in and then hurried to get inside as well. "I'm glad you like the flower"

"It's beautiful. Where are we going?"

"Well, I thought about a movie" internally Rachel cringed "but then I did some searching and there is a play in the theater downtown. I thought you might like that" as Quinn focused on driving Rachel smiled in triumph. Finally something that she'd actually enjoy doing. So far, this date wasn't that bad.

"What play?" she asked casually.

"Hair" Quinn answered, her eyes drifting towards the brunette for one second. "Do you not like that musical?"

"Yes, yes I do. It's one of my favorites actually. I just didn't think that you knew what it even was"

"I want to feel insulted" Quinn chuckled, making Rachel laugh and blush.

"It wasn't a jab. I was just thinking out loud" the shorter girl admitted.

"I didn't really know what it was until the day that you mentioned it on Glee" the blonde admitted. Rachel swooned at the admission. On that particular Glee meeting no one had been pleased with her for mentioning them about Hair but here was Quinn, admitting that she had listened and even remembered something that Rachel said months ago.

"And you just looked for it?" she teased.

"Well I had to. You know how I hate when a question doesn't have an answer. It's the worst" Rachel laughed, shaking her head as Quinn openly looked at her as they waited for the light to change. So maybe playing it casual was no longer an option. Quinn had exceled her expectations and their date hadn't even officially started yet. Rachel looked away from green smiling eyes.

"It's early, at what time is the play?"

"Eight, I also thought that we could have dinner before?" Rachel grinned and bit back a laugh. Quinn was a real cutie while nervous and it was making the brunette wonder why she hadn't accepted to go out with Quinn earlier. It was really difficult not to take notice of Quinn's efforts.

"Dinner will be great" she said when she realized that the blonde was actually waiting for approval.

"Great. Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?" and there it was that small smirk that made Quinn looked adorably cheesy.

"I think you may have" Rachel laughed and shook her head when her face burnt with embarrassment.

"Well allow me to tell you again then. You look very beautiful" Quinn smiled before parking outside a little restaurant at the end of a street that Rachel recognized well but didn't know why Quinn would take her there.

"No Breadsticks?" she couldn't help to ask.

"The only vegan option they have in their menu is poor. I discovered this little place with my mom last week, is that's okay?" Quinn asked insecurely as Rachel gagged for an answer.

"How did you know I was vegan?"

"Well, you mentioned it a couple of times in Glee, you still are right? Because this place has some really nice options. My mom and I tried the vegan lasagna and I couldn't even tell the difference" Quinn smiled again as Rachel tried her best to contain the tears stinging her eyes. This was not a good reason to share tears, but she has always been emotional, especially when she was happy and in this moment Quinn was making her really happy. Not even Finn had taken the time or trouble to worry about her preferences when it came to food. He always assumed she was a little crazy for not eating meat but never actually worry when they went out to dinner.

"Yeah, I did mention it." She breathed out and cleared out throat while Quinn got out of the car and suddenly was at her side, offering her hand.

Reservations hadn't been necessary. The place was small, a family restaurant but Quinn was already shaking hands with Mauricio -the oldest son of the owner- like they were old friends. He hadn't been as friendly with Rachel as he was being with Quinn but the brunette still smiled and let the blonde guided her to a table with her hand softly pressing against her lower back.

All those egocentrically jocks hadn't worried about the things that Quinn had. None of them had taken the time to ask what she wanted to eat or if she was hungry before they drove her to Breadsticks, always Breadsticks. Quinn had asked if she wanted to have dinner, she had known beforehand that she was vegan, she had opened the door of the car for Rachel to climb in and to climb out, and now she was patiently waiting for Rachel to take a seat before she took her own.

But she couldn't let herself fall for Quinn this way. Quinn obviously had practice; all those girls didn't just fall into her bed. Rachel recognized the hard work the blonde must put into every girl to even attempt to get into a physical encounter and Rachel could not be one of those girls.

"I like your Facebook profile" Quinn said as she eyed Rachel above her menu.

"Do you?" Rachel couldn't help the harsh tone at hearing that. It reminded her of past dates where her dates suddenly resembled thirteen year old boys who couldn't control their raging hormones.

"Yes, the pictures you uploaded are very nice" Quinn obviously didn't notice the edge on her tone. "I would like to see some of your old pictures though."

And that line along with a small, sincere smile is what confused Rachel to no end. As the waiter took their orders she had some time to think about what Quinn really meant. Again, she couldn't help when her mind took her through all of her past dates and no one had mentioned something like that. No one had mentioned Rachel's past as the school's geek. It was like she was a whole new person, the new kid with them.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly when the waiter left.

"Well, I always liked the way you dressed. It was cute" the blonde offered with a small smile.

"Cute?" Rachel was furrowing. No one had ever said that about her old clothes, no one beside her parents, and Finn always mentioned how hot her legs looked in those skirts but nothing beyond that. No one has ever called her _cute. _

"Yeah, adorable in more than one way. You know that black penguin sweater?"

"Yeah" it was one of the very few that she kept; she adored it but made a vow to never wear it again because it was itchy.

"I really like it. It always reminded me of Happy Feet" the blonde chuckled innocently without knowing the way that how her words were affecting Rachel.

"Me too" the brunette smiled and Quinn beamed at her.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while now" the blonde chuckled nervously while Rachel's mind was still overanalyzing every single one of Quinn's words.

"What?"

"Take you out on a date" the girl shrugged, her eyes desperately looking at Rachel with nothing but vulnerability in them. "I just never thought you'd accept."

Rachel knew about Quinn's little crush on her but she never thought much of it, she never pondered the idea of Quinn losing her night's sleep because of her. "Why didn't you just ask?"

"I just did" the blonde smiled sincerely and Rachel's heart went out to the girl.

"Tell me about your pool cleaning business" Rachel asked instead of keep with the line of conversation they were surely getting into but no matter how much Quinn told her about her summer Rachel couldn't shake the feeling that was slowly growing inside with each smile the blonde sent innocently at her way.

And suddenly she was actually enjoying _a _date. She wasn't praying that the time passes faster or that they would stop talking about sports. They were conversing and Quinn was so good at making her smile. It wasn't the plan Rachel had set her mind on before the date, it wasn't going the way it was supposed to. She wasn't supposed to enjoy her time with Quinn and this wasn't supposed to feel like a real date. This was only a distraction, it had to be.

At the end of dinner Quinn didn't wait for Rachel to pay for her dish, like some of the guys she's dated the last week did. Quinn had handed her debit card to the waiter before Rachel even blinked and then, with the same caring nature the blonde had lead her out and held open the doors for her.

Quinn wasn't supposed to be charming and Rachel was definitely not supposed to fall for it, but it was impossible not to appreciate every little thing that the blonde was doing.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?" Quinn asked while she drove towards downtown.

"Yes, I did. The real question is, did _you_ enjoy it?" Rachel asked back with a pointed look and the blonde laughed before giving in.

"It was good" she chose her words carefully.

"But…" Rachel dragged on, she was laughing already.

"Real cheese is better" Quinn whispered as she visibly shrink in the driver's seat. The only answer that she got was a full laugh from Rachel. "But I'm willing to try other variations of this vegan gastronomy."

And the implication was what made Rachel stop laughing. Of course Quinn thought that they were going to do this again. So far it was a perfect date and they were only at the half of it.

When they got to the theater Quinn purchased the tickets and they were rushed immediately in. The seats weren't great but even if Rachel wanted to enjoy the play her mind wasn't in it.

Did she want a second date with Quinn? She honestly did but the blonde's reputation didn't appeal to Rachel at all. As her mind went off, the only thing that she could thought about was how Quinn had tried and questioned if she tried this hard with everyone else. She hated to admit that a big part of her believed she did. That's why everyone had her on such a high pedestal after all.

Leading her on the first time had been bad enough but leading her on after they've had a perfect first date was unacceptable.

Rachel's heart was torn as they returned to Quinn's car after the show was over.

"You didn't like it" the blonde commented as she turned in the driver's seat to take a look at the brunette.

"I did. This was amazing Quinn and they play could really use a best leading man but what you did tonight was great" she said honestly and her heart ached when Quinn beamed at her one more time.

"So, I'm on the right track?" the blonde tentatively asked, remembering their phone conversation.

"Definitely" Rachel said before she could stop herself.

Quinn went on to tell her what was her favorite part from the play as Rachel gave her a very honest opinion about the whole production, with which the blonde agreed fully to.

It was in the middle of Rachel telling Quinn how the Glee Club should really start doing more classical covers and Quinn telling her that she'd be the perfect Evita that the brunette realized that it was easy, and fun, and productive, and it felt intelligent to talk to Quinn that she didn't really want it this to be the last time that she got to do it.

But everything came down to the girl's reputation once again and she decided that no, she didn't really want to be just another girl.

By the time that Quinn parked the car outside of the Berry's residence it was five minutes past eleven. They walked shyly together to the porch and their slow steps and brush of their hands reminded both of their first dates.

"Tonight was fun" Quinn commented with a small smile.

"It really was" Rachel nodded. Her chest burning because of her earlier decision.

"I'd really like to do this again with you" Quinn said and in a bolt move she reached out and tuck Rachel's hair behind her ear. Her fingerprints caressed the girl's cheek for a brief moment before she pulled her hand back.

"Yeah" Rachel frowned, not sure how to tell Quinn that there won't be another date and feeling guiltier when the blonde reached out again, this time to take her hands.

"You are amazing, Rachel" she said as her thumbs started to run on the brunette's hands. "I liked you before and I like you now. I don't want you to think that I asked you out just because you got new clothes"

"Didn't you?" Rachel asked, meeting hazel eyes with her own.

"I didn't" Quinn instantly confirmed. "But I'm glad I asked you out anyway."

The sincerity scared Rachel out of her mind. Quinn was dangerous, she should be wrapped up in red tape and have a shining sign to come with it because she was the worst type of danger to ever exist. She had the potential to make Rachel fall in love with her completely and irrevocably.

"I should get going" Rachel said instead and her hand reached out to cup Quinn's cheek before fully pulling back, putting some distance between them.

The confusion swam wildly in Quinn's vulnerable eyes but Rachel didn't turned around and got into her house as fast as she could.

She had given so many people the benefit of the doubt in the past and second chances to some that didn't really deserve it and came out hurt every time but she wasn't that girl anymore and as much as she wanted to give Quinn a chance she didn't want to go back and be that desperate little naïve girl that trusted everyone and anyone who would smile kindly at her.

…


	8. A little gift to make you feel better

Hi guys. There were originally two chapters to go but I decided to mix them together in a big one, so be prepared for 6763 words of plot. You'll find different POV in this one, we'll jump from Quinn's to Santana's to Judy's and finally to Rachel's, so I hope you keep up.

Everyone has faults in this story, some bigger than others. It's hard for Rachel not to appreciate Quinn's attitude and little actions. This chapter might not be what you expect and I'm willing to answer any questions that you may have after reading this.

That being said, enjoy.

* * *

**A little gift to make you feel better**

It had been three days since her date with Rachel and Quinn couldn't have been happier. The end of their date had been a little tentative and she was confused beyond belief when she got home but then she noticed the unread text on her phone from Rachel telling her how much fun she had had and the blonde had slept soundly that night.

Since then it had become a habit of sorts, they would text each other throughout the day and inform one another of their activities -or lack of them at times- at any given moment and Quinn's hopes were getting up real quick about her dating future with Rachel even if that wasn't the brunette's intention at all.

Thankfully for Quinn, Rachel hadn't mentioned dating anyone else in the last three days and either Puck or Santana had said anything either in their long rants of gossiping.

She still hasn't told her best friends about her date with Rachel but it was the way she preferred it at the moment. Even though she and Rachel had been texting each other for the last three days, the girl still hadn't accepted to go out with Quinn on a second date and she didn't want to jinx her shot just yet, so telling her friends would have to wait for now, she would tell them eventually. However, Judy was very well informed about her daughter's date with Rachel and she was just as excited as Quinn for the prospect of her relationship with the girl, and Judy really hoped that there was a relationship there to hope for because she could see her daughter getting attached quicker than she would have liked.

"So who's coming to dinner?" Quinn asked through a mouthful of froot loops and before answering Judy reached out with a napkin and wiped her daughter's chin free of spilled milk. The blonde smiled appreciatively as she blushed lightly.

"I thought you made the invitations?" the older Fabray said as she sipped her steamy coffee. "It's your birthday."

"Well but you know that it's always Puck and Santana on my side. Last year Mrs. Pierce was here and also Puck's mom, that's why I'm asking."

Quinn's birthday celebratory dinner was a custom that Judy had initiated the year she divorced Russell. Quinn's best friends were always present and a few of Judy's friends had also been a part of the celebration on occasion. It was a small gathering that Judy and Quinn enjoyed sharing with the people closest to them. However when she turned sixteen Puck had started another celebration that included his and Santana's birthdays as well of throwing a party in his house and going all out for it. Quinn's was always the best one to celebrate though because it was in the summer and they didn't have to worry about school or mortifying hangovers.

"I told Julie about it but with her kids coming home tomorrow I don't know if she'll make it. Jennifer has a work dinner with Marcus, but Marissa might show up" Judy cheerfully added as Quinn's smile widen considerably.

Ever since her talk with Julie at the mall the teen couldn't wait to see the woman again. It was amazing the way Julie knew just what to say to make Quinn feel a lot better without actually getting anywhere near a lecture.

That night before going to bed Quinn tried to call Rachel only to have her call sent straight to voice mall, again. A text came through a minute later with an apology, just like it had every single time that the blonde had called before. Quinn's heart still beat up wildly and a smile so wide spread on her face at reading Rachel's text though. Even a simple _hi_ got that reaction from her but tonight something was different.

"_Sorry I couldn't take your call, honey. But I'm free for texting ;)" _the term of endearment caused Quinn's smile to hurt her cheeks as she thought of an answer.

"_Don't worry about it. I just wanted to check on you, honey ;)"_ her heart started beating rapidly when she hit the sent button. She was anxious to see Rachel's reaction.

"_Well babe I'm doing alright, it's movie night with my parents but we're about to go to bed anyway. Mom had just collapsed on dad's shoulder, it should be sign enough that we're all sleepy. How is your night going so far?"_

If the term _honey_ almost gave Quinn a heart attack then the term _babe_ surely just killed her because Rachel couldn't be calling her _babe_.

"_What movie are you watching? It's alright, I'm exhausted from this morning but nothing a night's rest can't cure. What are you doing this Friday night?"_

She stretched her legs and toes as she waited for her phone to light up with a response. She couldn't help to feel nervous about what Rachel's response may be.

"_Iron Man, again and it depends" _came to short answer.

"_What if a certain someone wanted to ask you out on a second date?" _sometimes Quinn really realized that she had no game. This was one of those times.

"_A certain someone would have to actually ask"_ Quinn liked this, she couldn't stop smiling at Rachel's playful nature that matched her own.

"_What if it was a certain someone's birthday party and she wanted to have you as her date?"_

Rachel was taking a while in texting back and Quinn had started to dice her foot on her bed out of nervousness. When her phone vibrated she almost dropped it in her hurry to read the new text.

"_It still depends. Does this certain someone expects me to get a gift if I said yes?"_

"_If you say yes, then this certain someone would consider that the biggest gift"_

"_Then I'd say yes :)" _the response was immediate this time and Quinn beamed as she typed another text.

"_You won't regret it, Rach. I promise"_

"_I know I won't. Now go to bed, you have work tomorrow"_

"_But I'm my own boss, I can be late if I want to ;)"_

"_Still, go to bed. Goodnight, I hope you dream with beautiful angels so tomorrow you can tell me how I look in a white robe and a halo above my head ;)" _Quinn laughed loudly at this and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"_Babe, you don't need a white robe to look like an angel. Goodnight, Rach."_

…

Santana opened the door as quietly as she managed, the damn wood still creaked and she'd have rolled her eyes if she hadn't caught sight of the blonde sleeping soundly in her bed inside the room. She couldn't help it every time that she saw Quinn and her heart did that funny thing inside her chest, but seeing her ex sleeping and completely calm made her throat ache, and her stomach to roll uncomfortably.

She loved Quinn, she was aware of that and no, she wasn't _in love_ with her best friend but she couldn't help to wonder what it would have been if they'd tried a bit harder or at all.

"Are we going in or what?" Puck asked from behind her and she suddenly remembered that she wasn't here to ogle on Quinn while she slept like a creep. They were here for their traditional birthday breakfast in bed.

"At the count of three?" Santana asked as she opened the door wide for Puck and the boy sat the tray down on top of the desk, he was already smiling devilishly. They shared one last accomplice smile before they took deep breaths.

"Fire!" even Judy heard Puck's scream loud and clear, and smiled softly while she did the dishes in the kitchen. Quinn sat up in her bed immediately, eyes wide, heart hammering inside her chest, body shaking.

"In the house! Up! Up! Up!" Santana banged on every surface she could touch and clapped her hands as she got closer to the bed where -_a_ _scared the shit out-_ Quinn was staring at her with wild eyes.

"Happy birthday grandma!" Puck screamed close to her face and Quinn wanted to be mad -after the fear and uncertainty left her body and realized that she wasn't in danger- and it was just her crazy friends playing the birthday joke on her. Really, why did they ever started this stupid tradition? But Puck's grin was too wide and joyful that she couldn't stay mad for long.

"You ass" she breathed out instead.

"Happy birthday" Santana whispered in her ear as she was enveloped in a warm hug, which Quinn tentatively returned. "The big eighteen" the brunette smiled and Quinn was finally able to smile back.

"You dumbasses almost killed me" she admitted and this time Santana swatted her arm. "Ouch."

"And what did you think I went through when you idiots came into my room banging pots and playing a freaking trumpet? I thought I had joined the freaking circus when I was sleeping and for a moment I was ready to jump of a freaking train to make it stop"

"I told her not to read the elephant's water. I think it was the reason why we broke up eventually" Quinn told Puck pointedly, like they were picking on a forgotten conversation.

"Water for elephants" Santana clarified but no one paid her much attention.

"I don't know what that is" Puck shrugged easily.

"Anyway" Santana stood up to retrieve the forgotten tray of food. Sometimes she felt like the only one with brains around her best friends. "Sometimes I think I'm the only one with brains among you two. Now here birthday girl" she said settling the tray on Quinn's lap and watching amusedly how the blonde's smile widen at the sight. "Puck and I came in early and we prepare you a bacon feast with the help of Judy of course"

"This looks amazing"

"The presents are gonna have to wait until dinner though."

…

Santana would never admit this but she loved spending time with the two dorks that were currently trying to make a smiley face with carrots on their plates, although Puck's looked like the Joker. They never sat down to discuss their feelings or whatever, but they knew each other well enough to know when something was happening and even though they never went down the touchy road, they were always there and they knew it.

Julie Karofsky had showed up at dinner, dragging none other than her _charming_ son, Dave with her. They had walked in with two presents, which wasn't uncommon, this was Quinn's birthday dinner after all but Santana knew lust when she saw it and Mrs. Karofsky was not as discreet as she thought she was being.

It wasn't obvious, really but it was there. Every time that Quinn laughed or spoke, the woman would look up and smile shyly, only like a lover would. Santana surveyed the table each time this happened but no one seemed to take notice, no one beside her and Quinn herself.

And it clicked the moment Quinn opened Mrs. Karofsky's birthday present. As Quinn retrieved the Nikon camera from the box wrapped in green obnoxious paper Santana finished putting two and two together.

Of course she knew about Quinn's love for photography but she hadn't mentioned it in a while now that even Judy looked surprised and at a loss of words when the blonde ran speechless.

"Oh my God, Julie" she breathed in owe, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"That looks expensive" Puck commented as the phone rang and Judy excused herself from the living.

"It's ideal –apparently- for beginners" Mrs. Karofsky explained and smiled sweetly.

"This is too much" Quinn said and her eyes finally met Julie's in the way. Julie, Santana took notice that her ex had called the woman, Julie.

"You deserve it" she murmured before Dave decided to shove his present in Quinn's hand.

The realization seemed unreal and all Santana could do was sit and stare. Had Quinn actually been that stupid?

When Quinn had her present in her hands Puck had to nudge her on the shoulder for her to be able to blink and come back to reality.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked, a drop of real concern lacing her tone.

"Of course" she replied, her tone harsher than she intended.

"What did you get me this year?" the blonde smiled as Santana's heart raced. Puck obviously knew about this, there was no way Quinn could keep this from both of them but why hasn't she been in this? "Santana" Quinn gasped as she discovered the Chucks that had been wrapped up.

"They go great with your mom's one" she shrugged, her mind was elsewhere.

Judy went on to tell them how Quinn's bastard of a father had called to wish her a happy birthday as Dave and Puck discussed some lame video game and her ex finally came to sit down beside her.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked and then smiled widely. "The chucks are great San. I promise to get you something equally amazing next year" Santana knew that Quinn will keep that promise and in another time she'd have swoon at the words but her whole discovery was still making her feel like she was dreaming. It couldn't be real.

"So Julie, huh?" she found herself asking and Quinn's face paled. "When did it happen?" Quinn looked away, obviously wanting to avoid the conversation but Judy was talking to Julie, and Puck and Dave were still discussing God of War.

"A couple of weeks ago" she finally admitted, probably realizing that denying something to Santana wasn't worth it.

"Why didn't I know about this?" Santana asked, hurt and confused. Most of the times Puck and Quinn were eager to tell her about their experiences. They didn't brag in front of her but she understood the need to share, so why hadn't Quinn shared this with her?

"It was different" the blonde looked uncomfortable and was avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Different?" Santana looked scandalized for a second. "You didn't fell for her, did you?" she asked through greeted teeth.

"No!" Quinn shook her hear. "Are you insane? I just – I don't know, I didn't want to brag about it."

Santana studied Quinn's face for a moment before deciding that she didn't really want to push on the subject.

"Dave will kill you" she finally said and Quinn's eyes widen. "Keep it cool, would you? I wouldn't let it happen" she smiled easily and Quinn chuckled awkwardly in response but for the first time ever, Santana didn't push.

She decided to cut Quinn some slack. Maybe the blonde felt embarrassed that she had fallen down the cougar road and that's why she hasn't told her anything about it and Santana could totally understand that. If Quinn didn't want to talk about then she wasn't going to make her. Thankfully, the Karofskys excused themselves shortly after and so did herself and Puck. They had a party to prepare for the next day anyway.

…

Ever since she woke up the next morning Quinn was a nervous mess, for different reasons. She was impatient to see Rachel that night at Puck's, she didn't know what to wear and it made her feel uneasy, she briefly wondered if that's how every girl felt when asked on a date and internally shivered, she couldn't imagine going through all the trouble for just a date. But then she pictured Rachel's smiling face and decided that yes, it was worth the trouble and then some.

"You seem anxious today" Judy noticed as she entered her daughter's room and immediately set up to pick up clothes from the floor. "You seriously need to stop throwing your clothes on the floor"

"Sorry mom" the blonde apologized from her closet where she was currently studying two pair of jeans.

"Is Rachel going to be there tonight?" Judy asked knowingly. She has never seen her daughter acting this way and she had to admit that she's been waiting for it. Almost a year ago she had thought that Santana would put an end to infinite dates with random girls in Quinn's life but that had only been temporally. Now, Rachel didn't seem to be a temporally affair at all.

"Yes, we're meeting there" came Quinn's muffled response. Her head was deep inside her closet. With deep falls though, deep pain could be caused and Judy knew it well. She didn't want to see Quinn getting hurt if things didn't work out with the girl.

"Come here honey" she called after setting the damper near the door. Quinn turned around holding a leather jacket and a jean one in her hands.

"Which one do you like better?" she asked her mother.

"They both look great on you"

"Mom" the teen moaned. "Pick one"

"The jean one"

"Then I'll go with my leather baby" Quinn proclaimed and flew a kiss to her mother when she glared at her.

"Quinn, come seat with me for a little bit" at the tone of her mother Quinn left the jackets on her desk and did as Judy asked her.

"What is it?"

"How are things going with Rachel?" Judy asked gently. For a moment Quinn was thrown off by the question but her mother was expecting an answer.

"Well, I've told you pretty much everything. Things seem to be fine, I just hope…"

"You're falling for this girl" Judy noticed and Quinn smiled softly and wished that she had listened to Crystal before.

"I fell for her a long time ago" she admitted and her mom squeezed her thigh encouragely. "I'm just learning how to accept it and hope that she does as well."

This is exactly what Judy feared the most. This was the kind of thing that she couldn't protect Quinn from and it hurt to know that she was going to have to stand back and let it unfold while hoping for the best.

"Well honey, she is the luckiest girl out there" she sincerely said and Quinn huffed. "Quinn, you are amazing and if she's smart she'll see that. The one person that truly deserves your heart will see pass your faults and embrace them, help you put them behind. You'll see sweetheart."

Judy saw the flash in Quinn's eyes come and go so fast that she almost missed it. She observed with a sense of drag how her daughter considered her words and she knew what Quinn was thinking about before she even opened her mouth to ask.

"Do you think she minds about my past? About Santana and…" Quinn's eyes widen comically and Judy squeezed her thigh a bit harder.

Over the years she had come to learn more about her daughter than she would have ever liked to, but the walls were thin and it came to a point where Puck and Quinn talked to her about pretty much everything. They never went into details, they've always respected her but Judy still knew about their whereabouts and what their reputations were all about. Santana always made sure to inform her about a new conquest the two studs score every chance that she got, if only to embarrass Quinn in front of her. But behind the teasing and the laughs Judy saw how everything affected her daughter on a daily basis and her daughter was far from being a _heartless_ player.

"If she does, I'm sure she'll realize soon enough that you are more than a reputation"

"Yeah but what if she doesn't?"

"Then it's her lost, not yours."

…

Quinn really tried to stop thinking about her mother's words but she couldn't, she was afraid and she knew exactly why. If Rachel ever found out about Jennifer or Julie, she'd never take a second look at Quinn. Her mom's words had also made her considered things that she hadn't before. She knew that people talked, she was very popular with the cheerleaders in their school and she hadn't exactly been careful with her reputation, and now she was trying to date Rachel. Rachel who had been on the receiving end of countless of gossips, Rachel who cared about what other people said.

How could she have been so stupid? And she hadn't exactly been _good_ this summer either. She had gone beyond her expectation in sleeping with Karofsky's mom and even Santana's. If word got out she was sure that no one would ever take her seriously, especially Rachel.

As she rounded the corner to Puck's house she realized that she didn't bring a jacket after all. Her hands were sweating profusely and she ran them on her jeans before reaching out for the handle of the door. The music was loud and the house was packed, everyone she knew was there and through the sea of people Santana and Puck came rushing towards her with a birthday hat and a red solo cup in their hands.

"Happy birthday!" both screamed in her face with matching wide grins on their faces.

"Hey" she smiled, the weight of her shoulders finally dissipating into nothingness.

"Drink up" Santana ordered and she did as told. As her throat burnt with the tequila several other people hugged her wishing her a happy birthday as well. Puck's voice could be heard coming from a speaker announcing Quinn's arrival and suddenly there were more people around her, also hugging her and bumping her shoulders from side to side.

When Santana dragged her to the dance floor Quinn remembered that she hasn't told her friends about Rachel showing up tonight and why but still couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"How do you like your party?" the brunette asked as she took her hands and lifted them in the air.

"This is cool, thank you" she distractedly said, her eyes browsing the living. Someone was screaming Santana's name and after kissing her cheek she disappeared leaving Quinn alone, but not for long.

"Hey you" Jessica husked in her ear as two soft arms wrapped around her neck. Quinn had to hold the girl from falling on her face and she smiled at the awkwardness of it all. Jessica was a cheerleader and she was beyond uncoordinated at the moment.

"Jesus, Jess. What have you been drinking?" Quinn asked as she took a deep breath on a side.

"I don't really know" Jessica frowned and eyed her solo cup suspiciously.

"Can I have some?" Quinn asked, hoping the girl would hand her the cup so she could dispose of it. It wasn't even ten o'clock and Jessica was already wasted.

"Oh, baby. You know you can have it all, anytime you want it" Jessica tried to sound seductive but Quinn only laughed a bit harder because the girl looked anything but sexy.

"Okay, Casanova. How about we take a seat before we fall on our faces, huh?" Quinn asked smiling as she guided Jessica to the closest couch.

"Whatever you want" the girl slurred in her ear before she finally sat down. "Don't leave" the girl grabbed her wrists before Quinn could make a quick getaway.

"I'll be right back. I'm just getting a drink" she lied.

Where was Rachel? Was she even here yet? Quinn probably should have called her again, make sure that they were still on for tonight but her mind had been all over the place after her talk with her mother, besides she didn't have the slightest idea of what to do on a second date and she didn't have anything planned for tonight. She was sloppy and Rachel would probably deny her another date after tonight.

"Hey, Q" Puck suddenly jumped in front of her, his grin too wide to be genuine and holding a solo cup in her face. "Have a drink with me"

"Okay" she accepted the cup as he pushed her shoulder around.

"Poker is calling our names baby" he said and again Quinn noticed his smile wasn't honest and she turned around almost instinctively and kept her original path. "Quinn, come on" he held her arm and spun her around again.

"What's the matter with you?" she spat taking the ridiculous birthday hat from her head and throwing it on the floor.

"Just come with me, alright?" he begged and this time she didn't give him a chance to explain before she walked faster towards the back of the living.

She froze in place as she took in the sight of Rachel pressed against _some_ boy and dancing suggestively close. Her hands clenched into fists and glaring both way she strode her way towards the humping couple. Before she got to them however, the guy leaned in and kissed the brunette. Rachel pushed him back but he decided to kiss her again against her will and that's when Quinn saw red.

Grabbing the side of his heavy jacket Quinn pushed the boy back and away from Rachel with force, sending him tumbling a few steps back.

"What the hell Fabray!" he yelled as Quinn begged her brain for a name. She was sure she knew this idiot.

"Quinn" Rachel reached out and holding Quinn's arm she pulled the girl backwards. "Don't do this"

"He was forcing himself on you" the blonde cupped the brunette's face and shook her head disbelievingly. How could he have thought of forcing himself on Rachel like that?

"I can take care of myself" Rachel said and eying around she noticed the scene they were causing. Cristian's friends had already dragged him somewhere and Rachel did the same with Quinn.

Blood was still rushing through her body like a torrent, Quinn didn't even blink until she heard the slam of a door. They were in Puck's laundry room.

"Why did you do that?" Rachel asked, her voice raising.

"I saw him kissing you" now that they were alone, Quinn anger was vanishing considerably.

"So?" the brunette shrugged and Quinn stood frozen for the second time that night.

"He kissed you against your will. I saw him"

"And you thought you'd just and be my hero, right? Because every girl needs someone to save her"

"What? No, that's not what I was – no, no. I just thought - " Quinn was at a loss of words. Out of all the scenarios that she could have pictured, this was not one of them.

"I can take her of myself Quinn"

"Of course, I know that" agree, agree. You can't say that she hasn't learnt anything in the last couple of years.

"I might be short but don't ever let my physical image trick you. Do not underestimate me again" Rachel warned, her index finger pointing at Quinn's chest. The blonde took a deep breath before taking that finger in her hand.

"I wasn't trying to play hero, Rachel. I don't know what happened but I just know that I wanted to protect you. I don't want you to feel violated in any way and he kissed you after you pushed him back and it just made me really angry because no one should do that to any girl, you know?" Rachel nodded, her face visibly more relaxed now as Quinn focused on holding her hands.

"I know you're a strong, independent woman" the blonde smirked and Rachel blushed at the memory. Quinn was trying to lighting up the mood by reciting Rachel's words from months ago in a very agitated glee meeting. "I'm sorry if I abused your trust but I just couldn't stand back."

"It's alright, Quinn" Rachel smiled and blushed when the blonde tuck her hair behind her ear. She took notice of how much Quinn seemed to like to do that. "I might have overreacted anyway"

"You're still my date, right?" the blonde nervously asked.

"Yes, yes. Of course" Rachel chuckled.

Puck and Santana were more than a little surprised when Quinn emerged from the dark hallway holding the hand of a smiley Rachel Berry but kept their distance knowing how much this meant for their best friend.

"You look beautiful by the way" Quinn complimented as she pulled Rachel a little closer on the dance floor.

"Thank you, you do too."

As Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck she closed her eyes and felt how warm the blonde's hands were against her lower back. Internally she screamed when her heart raced and she snuggled closer to Quinn to the point where her face was hidden against the girl's neck. Quinn's arms held her tighter in response and Rachel could swore she felt lips pressing on the crown of her head.

She couldn't do this, she wanted it too much and every time she wanted something too much she always ended up messing it in massive proportions. It was worst with Quinn and feelings. Quinn was known for having none and Rachel was the total opposite. She couldn't be one of those girls. She didn't want to be another one of the heartbroken girls that were staring at them while they danced. But then she realized that no matter what, she was already one of those girls, no matter the outcome.

She was already too involved and Quinn was making it so hard to not feel. Rachel was already hanging by a thin thread that she knew she was bound to fall hard and fast at any moment now.

"I have the perfect present for you" she whispered close to Quinn's ear.

"I told you not to get me anything" the blonde pulled back, her hands coming to rest on Rachel's waist as she smiled softly down to the girl.

"I didn't" Rachel shook her head. "I'm just giving it to you."

And she didn't think, she put her mind in blank really and she focused in Quinn's soft hand as she dragged the confused blonde up the stairs. She didn't know the house too well but she figured the room with the skull hanging on the door was Puck's and that's where she went.

"Rachel, what…"

"Shhh" Rachel silenced her with a finger on her lips. She closed the door softly and locked it. Quinn's confusion was understandable, Rachel wasn't exactly being clear but she needed the blonde to agree to this.

"I know what I want to give to you" Rachel's voice was barely audible and the darkness of the room didn't exactly help Quinn.

"I'm lost" Quinn admitted, her hands taking its place on Rachel's waist and squeezing lightly, silently asking for an explanation.

"I'm giving you something that only you can have, that only you will ever have of me"

"Rachel" Quinn's clarity washed over her face visibly.

"Before you ask, I'm sure. I haven't been so sure of anything before. I want you to have this. To have me." And the most surprising thing about her last sentences was that she was actually speaking the truth.

And then Quinn kissed her softly and carefully. Either one of them made a move to deepen the kiss though. When they pulled back for air the taller girl rested her forehead against Rachel's.

"I've wanted to kiss you for so long" Quinn chuckled softly and opened her eyes to smile at Rachel, and if Rachel was still a bit apprehensive with her sudden decision then that smile that Quinn was giving her surely made up her mind. "I only wanted a second date" Quinn said, eyes closed now and breathing a little erratic. "I don't expect anything from you, anything from what you are willing to give me"

"I'm asking you for this. I want to do this. I want you to have it" Rachel interrupted her.

"But Rachel"

"Don't say another word and show me how much you want this."

And Quinn kissed her again and Rachel finally understood the meaning of being kissed into oblivion. Quinn was an excellent kisser. She moaned and she almost pulled back when she realized that it was the first time that she did into a kiss. Something inside of her stirred when Quinn's sneaky tongue caressed her own and a need she didn't know could feel made itself present all over her body.

Quinn's hands were securely squeezing her waist as a pair of very talented lips slid down her chin and throat kissing down a path that stopped right above the hem of her top. Her own hands took a hold of blonde hair and pulled the girl up to kiss her again. When Quinn's tongue invaded her mouth Rachel's whole body lit up with a new desire.

"Rachel" Quinn pulled back again, her eyes were darker than usual and her lips were abused and Rachel didn't let her say another word before kissing her again. This time Quinn's hands roamed on her body, her fingers sneaked underneath the hem of her top around her waist and Rachel felt the burning sensation of the blonde's skin against her own.

"Do you want this?" she husked in Quinn's ear, her hands keeping the blonde as close to her face as she could.

"Of course" Quinn passionately confessed and brought their lips together again as she backed the girl towards the bed in the middle of the room. With shaky hands Rachel reached down and held onto the hem of Quinn's shirt before pulling it up slowly. The blonde locked eyes with her as she lifted her arms and let Rachel throw the shirt somewhere behind her.

"You have abs" Rachel smiled and brought her fingertips to touch Quinn's defined stomach. The blonde stood patiently and let Rachel take her time gracing her skin while she completely ignored her own desperation to touch the exploratory girl and when Rachel looked back up Quinn didn't waste any time in attacking her neck with open mouthed kisses.

But Rachel was growing impatient as well, her shot of bravery soon fading away the longer Quinn took and she reached behind Quinn's back and unclasped her bra with little difficulty. Quinn pulled back and smiled, letting her bra fall to the floor, her cheeks tainting pink as she waited for Rachel to make a move.

"Can I…" she trailed off and grabbing her shaking hands Quinn placed them above her own breasts. Rachel heard the small intake of breath the blonde had to take and standing on her tiptoes she kissed the girl again as her hands squeezed the mounds softly. Quinn arms were pulling her closer as well and Rachel felt how truly aroused the blonde had grown and the proof of it was pressing hard against her lower stomach, begging to be noticed.

She had no experience whatsoever. The farthest she'd ever gone with Finn had been a few sloppy wet kisses that had left her beyond disgusted with herself and now she had her hands full with Quinn's breasts and she didn't seem to be doing a bad job, if the blonde's moans were any indication of it.

This time she was the one to pull back, leaving Quinn stretching her arms looking for her. As she climbed on the bed on her knees she realized that her hands were shaking lightly but it didn't stop her from taking off her top and strapless bra.

"Come here" she called out the moment she disposed of her bra. Quinn's eyes were glued to hers and she blindly took her hand and let herself be pulled on top of Rachel as the brunette laid down.

"Rachel I…"

"I want you" the shorter girl cut her off and Rachel saw how something flashed in Quinn's eyes before she attacked her lips with more strength than before. When Quinn's lips were lavishing her neck Rachel looked up and felt Quinn separating her legs before she sank down between them and pressed their bodies impossibly closer as her lips kept moving downwards and suddenly the air left Rachel's body when she felt a pair of soft lips wrapping around one of her nipples.

"You are so beautiful" Quinn said in owe as she moved both of her hands to massage Rachel's breast while her hips never stop her slow thrusting against the girl's hips. "Are you sure?" she suddenly asked and fishing for words Rachel reached down and undid the button of Quinn's pants as an answer.

The blonde smiled excitedly before she kneeled on the bed and took of Rachel's jeans before doing the same with hers. As Quinn came back to kiss her, Rachel caressed her face as she felt the now very noticeable bulge pressing against her clit. As she pushed her hips up, she realized that she's never want something as much as she wanted Quinn in that moment.

"Protection?" she asked and Quinn smiled before reaching for her pants and pulling one out from the back pocket. With their eyes locked they didn't need to speak before Rachel reached down and removed her panties and Quinn quickly did the same with her underwear. As the cold air hit her heated skin, Rachel swallowed hard and avoided looking at Quinn rolling down the condom on her length.

Soon Quinn was on top of her again, pushing her legs open with her hands as her lips seek hers. This kiss was slower than the previous ones that Rachel almost forgot how to even exist because of it and as she wrapped her arms around Quinn's shoulders the blonde sneakily slipped inside of her very slowly. At the intrusion Rachel pulled her lips back and dug her nails on Quinn's bare shoulders to keep herself from crying out.

"You okay?" the blonde asked as all movement stopped but Rachel didn't open her eyes.

"Yes, keep going. Slowly" she said and Quinn did as told, her body was shaking almost uncontrollably on top of the brunette's but somehow she managed to keep her control in check.

It wasn't painful per se but foreign. She had never felt so full in her life or wet and as Quinn started to thrust slowly at first, Rachel realized that she's never felt true pleasure at all.

It was slow and Quinn never stopped murmuring soft reassurances in her ear while she pushed in and out of her.

Quinn hissed when Rachel scratched her back roughly and in response she picked up her pace, her thrusts became harder, faster and a bit uncoordinated and as Rachel scratched her for a second time she noticed the blonde losing all sense of rhythm completely.

"Oh God" Rachel squeezed her eyes shut as she felt closer to the edge. Of what? She wasn't sure.

"I'm close" Quinn panted in her ear as her lips attached to the brunette's neck and Rachel felt a shot of ecstasy washing over her entire body, making her toes curl and her back to arch on the mattress and into Quinn's body.

"Me too" she realized and pulled the blonde up to look into those deep pools of green that had made her lose all sense of control tonight. As she thrust faster Quinn never looked away from Rachel's eyes and the shorter girl cupped her face to keep her in place. Rachel brushed her fingers above Quinn's frown and tangling up her fingers on sweaty blonde tresses she threw her head back as Quinn hit something within her repeatedly that made stars explode behind her eyelids.

Quinn buried her face in Rachel's neck for the last time as the brunette groaned and cried out her orgasm. The sound alone was enough to push Quinn over the edge as well and she finally let go, tensing above Rachel and biting one of her shoulders softly to keep herself from screaming.

They stayed like that until their breathing had gone back to normal and then on shaky legs Quinn stood up and disposed of the used condom before hurrying back to the bed and snuggling close to Rachel.

"You have no idea how much this means to me" she whispered against Rachel's ear as she hugged the girl close. "I promise I won't let you down."

"Happy birthday" Rachel smiled looking up and Quinn kissed her again, not noticing the way decided to ignore her promise.

"Best birthday ever" she said before pulling a blanket over their naked bodies. Sleep was quick to catch up with Quinn but Rachel couldn't close her eyes, too busy considering everything that had just happened and wondering how exactly she was going to be able to stay away from the blonde after this.

…


	9. A little bit of honesty

The response this story is having (and had) doesn't stop to amaze me. You are the greatest readers anyone could ever ask for. Thank you.

Quinn doesn't have any romantic feelings for Julie, despise knowing (or supposing) how the older woman feels about her, her affections had always been directed at one person.

* * *

**A little bit of honesty **

Her phone rang for the tenth time that morning and Rachel once again stared at the device until it stopped ringing. Soon she'll receive the notification announcing her of a new voice message like it had every time before this one.

It had been three days since Quinn's birthday party and the girl has been trying desperately to reach out to Rachel as the brunette did everything in her power to ignore the girl, which resulted much more difficult than she had previously anticipated.

Rachel accepted the invitation of Richard for dinner and a movie that Monday evening but not even halfway through it she was hoping she'd stayed home instead. She was honestly looking for a distraction, anything to make her stop thinking about Quinn but it was proving impossible. Richard hadn't opened any doors for her, he hadn't bothered checking if she ate meat and had driven directly to Breadsticks. He was going on and on about football season and how this year it was going to be theirs and the worst part was –Rachel realized- that he thought she was a new kid in town completely.

She sat in the first row in the movie theater –ignoring his annoyed huff- and allowed him to wrap his arm on her shoulders when he faked a yawn and in the dark of the large half empty room her brain decided –yet again- to remind her of Quinn, in a bed, holding her, kissing her, making promises, taking her virginity by making love to her.

It was everything she could think about since it happened and her stomach still twitched inside of her every time she thought about how she left. She had sneaked out of the room like a thief, leaving Quinn alone in that bed and come the next morning, she had started to completely ignore the blonde.

Richard was now playing with her hair, the movie forgotten in front of them for completely different reasons.

Rachel didn't know how to feel about it all. It had seemed like such a good idea to sleep with Quinn that night and she didn't regret it because the whole experience had been wonderful, but Quinn probably thought that Rachel was willing to pursue a relationship and that wasn't the case.

Richard's fingers were now on her chin, trying to turn her face and Rachel allowed him to kiss her for a few seconds before pushing him away gently by his shoulders. His lips were rough, too big and he hadn't bothered with a mint after they had dinner.

He opened his mouth, probably to ask what's wrong but she cut him off. "I think I'm gonna go home now" she told him before standing up and leaving the theater.

Quinn's lips were soft, tender and she tasted like candy. Rachel chuckled dryly as she started to walk down the sidewalk alone. Quinn probably had mints at her reach all the times since she was always seen kissing someone, of course she was prepared for it all the time.

"It's a little dangerous to wander around alone at night, you know?" Rachel's step faltered as she came to an abrupt stop and she turned around to find Quinn standing a few feet behind her. The blonde looked conflicted and Rachel noticed how deep the girl was pushing her hands in her jean's pockets.

"Quinn"

"You were gone" the blonde cut her off. "I woke up at midnight and you were gone"

"Quinn, I…"

"I went downstairs to look for you but you weren't there anymore. I called you Saturday morning, left a few messages, texted you more than a couple of times. I did the same yesterday and today but you didn't call or text back"

"Quinn, let me…"

"Did I do something wrong? Said something you didn't want to hear? What did I do to make you ignore me for the last three days straight Rachel?"

"Quinn, you didn't do anything wrong" she calmly said and Quinn nodded her head before looking down to the floor, her hair falling on her eyes.

"I thought you wanted to try… with me" she swallowed hard and Rachel's heart broke all over again at the sight.

"I'm sorry" she apologized, not knowing what else to say.

"Why are sorry for?" there was a vulnerability in Quinn's voice that led Rachel to believe the blonde was afraid of what her answer might be. And what was she sorry for?

She had led Quinn on farther than she ever intended to. She had slept with her out of a push of spontaneity, she didn't regret it and she didn't doubt herself after. She understood how Quinn felt about her and perhaps that was what led her to trust Quinn but it didn't mean that she believed that the blonde was capable to be in a monogamy relationship with her and stay that way and she couldn't risk the hurt. Everyone had been around when Quinn and Santana tried to date, the entire school knew how bad that ended after all.

"I'm sorry for leading you on" she honestly said, it was the least she owned Quinn.

"Wow" the blonde blinked a few tears and wiped furiously at her face.

"Quinn, I never wanted to…"

"Hurt me?" the blonde cut her off again and then laughed humorlessly. "I'm sorry but I can't understand you"

"I don't know what else you want me to say" Rachel said exasperatedly.

"I want you to tell me why me?"

"What?" Rachel was confused and became very aware of how painful it was to see Quinn's teary eyes begging her for answers.

"Why let me be your first if you never wanted to date me"

"I never said that"

"You might as well have" Quinn shrugged dejectedly. Rachel took a deep breath and tried to collect herself nicely. It was painful to breathe, her chest wasn't collaborating.

"How many girls have you slept with this week?" she asked instead, making Quinn frown. "Two, three? What was I to you?" she accused. Quinn stared at her with pursed lips for a moment before looking away, her throat bobbed up and down as she stared at nothing in particular. "How many cheerleaders have you been with this summer?"

"None" Quinn answered turning back to lock eyes with her and stay that way. "I haven't seen a cheerleader this summer and I haven't been with anyone since our first date."

Rachel huffed and hazel eyes watered faster than she ever wanted to witness. "Is that all I am to you?" Quinn's voice broke as she squared her shoulders. "A whore?"

"What? No, I'd never"

"Is this the reason why you wouldn't date me?" she asked, two sneaky tears rolling down pale cheeks again. "Because I have a bad reputation?" Rachel didn't look away and saw Quinn's lower lip tremble as she followed her unspoken answer. "Why me?" she asked again.

"Why not you?" Rachel cleared her throat right after speaking. She had no idea how broken her own voice would come out.

"How about a little honesty?" the blonde shrugged and Rachel nodded tentatively. "Do you like me?"

"Yes, Quinn. I like you"

"Do you regret it?"

"No, I don't"

"But you don't want to date me?" Quinn pushed.

"It's not that I don't want to" Rachel stomped her foot on the ground.

"Listen, Rachel" Quinn stepped forward and for a moment the brunette thought Quinn was going to reach out and touch her but somehow the girl stuck her hands even deeper in her pockets. "I know I come with luggage but everyone has a past. Can't you please try to see my present? I've been trying, I have. But I need you to recognize that."

Rachel started at her, her heart and mind telling her to do two different things at the same time. She wasn't being selfish or self-centered. She was trying to avoid heartbreak but why didn't it feel good to want to protect oneself?

"A little bit of honesty?" Rachel retorted back and Quinn laughed but the sound was so heartbreaking that Rachel almost reached out and hug the girl and a second later she wondered if Quinn had gone through the same trouble with anyone else?

"Whatever you want" Quinn told her.

"You think I should date you because we slept together, don't you?" Quinn shrugged slowly in response and Rachel saw the confusion swimming in her hazel eyes.

"I never said that" the blonde said after a moment. "I just didn't think that you would care so little for your first time"

"I care a great deal and don't make me regret it, Quinn" Rachel warned.

"I just don't understand" the blonde repeated. "We had a great first date, we were supposed to have a second one but instead you decide to sleep with me, you ignore me after and now you tell me that you don't want to date me."

Their short affair had been summed up in a long sentence and not for the first time, Rachel felt guilty by the way that she had played things with Quinn.

"I thought you'd understand" she admitted, finally starting to see things clearer by herself. "I thought you'd understand better than anyone"

"What?"

"You do this all the time" Rachel accentuated like it was the obvious only explanation.

"Is that why you're dating all those jocks?" Quinn asked, no more tears or signs of them on her face. "To make a point that you don't care?"

"To distract myself" Rachel corrected. "To experience, to _have_ something."

Quinn studied her for a long minute as Rachel's mind raced back to every date she's had this summer. No one even came close to Quinn and what she had done. It had served her well to distract herself but after everything that's happened with the blonde distraction was no longer attractive. She didn't want it.

"You're not perfect, you know?" Quinn suddenly said and for the first time since they saw each other this night, a small smile was adorning the blonde's lips.

"What?" Rachel shook her head, she probably missed something else the girl said.

"You are self-centered, loud and have a tendency to rant about small things. You tend to forget or ignore really how your words affect other people and you love the grape slushies even though you never drink them at school"

"What are you…"

"I'm not finished" Quinn said louder and ignore the bewilderment stare on the brunette's face. "You hate mathematics and think Mr. Schue is an incompetent teacher but you still show him respect, and you used to dress like a toddler until two months ago but now you don't. You decided to change, you got new clothes, closed your MySpace profile and now you have a Facebook account. Now you date jocks that used to ignore you in school, and Cheerleaders that insulted you in the hallways now compliment every picture that you post."

Rachel couldn't speak, too entranced focusing on breathing normally.

"I don't know why you decided to dress and act differently but I want to know Rachel why; because for the longest time all I've known is that I like you. I liked you a year ago and I like you now just the same because you're still the same girl, no matter what you decide to wear. And loud, self-centered, penguin sweaters and all, I like you."

Quinn's smile was contagious and Rachel couldn't help to smile when the girl raised a single eyebrow at her.

"I still can't date you" she said very slowly.

"That's because all you see is my reputation" Quinn said. "I'm going to show you that I'm more than that." And as Quinn walked away smiling, Rachel shook her head and opted for putting that entire conversation aside.

…


	10. A little less conversation

**A little less conversation **

Quinn's eyes were fixed on the ceiling of her room when Santana walked inside and sat beside her, backs pressed against the headboard of her bed. Instinctively, Santana reached out and took one of Quinn's hands to bring it to her lap and give it a supportive squeeze. She didn't really know why her ex had called her before, but she could tell that Quinn needed someone to talk to or maybe someone who could just be there in silence with her. And she was willing to be whomever Quinn needed.

"I took her out" the blonde said and Santana didn't need to ask who she was talking about. There was only one girl Quinn could be referring to.

"When?" she asked instead.

"Two weeks ago. We had dinner and watched a Hair production downtown after"

"That's a musical, right?"

"Yeah" Quinn's eyes were still fixed on the ceiling, her head thrown back, and legs crossed at her ankles. Her throat bobbed up and down and Santana squeezed her hand again.

"How was it?" Quinn took a moment and then a small smile appeared on her lips, she looked serene.

"Perfect" she breathed out, her lips barely moving to give out the words. Quinn looked at her then, her eyes confused and pained. "I don't get it"

"What did she say to you?"

"She says she likes me, she says she doesn't regret it" she huffed then and hit the back of her head on the headboard. Santana waited knowing that whatever it was, Quinn was working the courage to tell her. And then those hazel eyes were back, looking straight at her. "We slept together."

Santana tried to control her facial reactions but she honestly couldn't. She could _feel_ her eyebrows up so high her forehead out of surprise, and she swallowed the piece of information very slowly.

"When…" she cleared her throat. "When did it happen?"

"Birthday party at Puck's."

Santana nodded but remained silent. Usually, when Quinn slept with someone new she was in better spirits. She wasn't one to brag, she always made sure to keep details to herself and if she ever mentioned anything to Santana, it was only to ask real questions. It was known that Rachel was a virgin and Santana didn't need to be a genius to come to the conclusion that Quinn had been her first because if any of the jocks Rachel dated in the summer had come close to pop her cherry then the rumor would have spread like wildfire by now.

Santana rested her head on the blonde's shoulders and immediately felt Quinn's arm wrapping around her.

"Your hair smells nice" Quinn said after a moment and Santana hummed back.

"Did you ask her out again?" she asked and felt Quinn's chest raise as her friend took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I did. She said my reputation it's not ideal"

"What else did she say?"

"That I don't" the blonde took another deep breath and Santana knew that Quinn was glad that she wasn't looking at her face. "I don't get it. It's like she doesn't see me but she does" she repeated.

"What exactly don't you understand?"

"I'm trying to show her that I'm more than my reputation but she doesn't see it, she doesn't see _me_"

"_You are_ more than a reputation, Quinn" Santana quickly said sitting up and facing her friend.

"I don't know how to show her that."

Quinn looked defeated as Santana's humor shifted dangerously. She was done trying to be understanding towards Rachel. Sure, Quinn's reputation presided her but there was more to her than that and if Rachel couldn't see it then she had no right to make Quinn feel any less.

"You shouldn't need to show her that at all"

"She's right, you know? I get why she can't trust me, I get it" Quinn said convinced. "I've dumped more girls than I care to remember…"

"That's where you're wrong" Santana cut her off and ignoring Quinn's confused look she continued. "You can't look at me and tell me that you honestly don't remember with morbid clarity every girl that you've ever dumped because you'd be lying. You have a heart inside that thick skin of yours"

"You're missing the point. I've been with a lot of girls and none of them have stuck with me, none of them had _meant a thing_"

"And why is that?" Santana huffed in annoyance, Quinn's sentence hitting her deeper than she thought, even though she knew that Quinn didn't mean to hurt her with her words.

"I've always liked her" Quinn said miserably and sighed defeated. She laid in her bed this time and fixed her eyes on the ceiling again. "I've liked her since forever and now everything is so complicated. She thinks I'm not worthy because I'm a player, just like I always thought she'd feel. I should have stayed away, that way I'd never have known how it felt too kiss her or how she'd make me feel when I did it" her lower lip trembled and Santana's heart ached at the sight.

Getting together with Rachel should have been a complete different experience for Quinn, not this.

"You deserve everything" Santana told her. "You shouldn't feel like you're not worthy of her. In fact, I forbid you to feel that way" Quinn chuckled and Santana smirked, she hated to see her friend so sad and she briefly regretted having pushed Quinn to ask Rachel out weeks ago.

"Yes, ma'am" Quinn winked at her and in response Santana swatted her arm, softly of course.

"Seriously Quinn. You shouldn't feel this way and if Rachel can't see beyond your reputation then maybe you shouldn't be trying at all"

"Then why do I feel like I should try harder?" Santana sighed before resting her head on Quinn's shoulder again, she didn't want the blonde to see her face when she spoke next.

"Because you're in love" she said and tightened her hold on her ex. Quinn chuckled dryly but didn't say anything in return.

Somehow Santana knew that there was something Quinn wasn't telling her about her conversation with Rachel and she understood that she wanted to keep some things to herself but there was something totally off with Rachel's behavior towards Quinn that she just couldn't understand. It was obvious that Quinn's feelings were strong for the girl but apparently Rachel didn't want to acknowledge that or maybe Santana was missing an important point in all of this.

Santana wasn't going to deny and say that Quinn's reputation was easy to look over because it wasn't, it had been one of the biggest reasons why they ended their relationship after all but then again, she was far more insecure than she led on and it had played a major role in their split a while ago.

She remembered how often she'd go a little paranoid when Quinn wasn't by her side and some cheerleader eyed her suspiciously. The idea of Quinn cheating on her was always present even though the blonde had sworn that she'd never done it. But Quinn hadn't been as committed to their relationship as she was with Rachel and the girl wasn't recognizing that. It was unsettling to see the blonde sad and her efforts going ignored.

Santana wondered if Rachel knew about Mrs. Karofsky and what was her opinion about it. Santana personally didn't think much of it -as long as it stayed in the dark there was no reason to bring it up, it could only cause problems anyway- but Rachel had other morals, higher morals and it made her curious.

"Does she know about the cougar?" she asked softly.

"No!" Quinn shouted and pushed Santana back, hazel eyes frantic and looking at her like she was crazy.

"Are you planning on telling her?" she carefully asked. Quinn's reaction was bigger, she looked ready to start screaming and Santana quickly took her hand and raised her right hand in a peace sign. "I'm just saying, this isn't something you want her to find out from someone else"

"This isn't something important that I want to share"

"Really?" Santana challenged.

"What is the difference between a past nightstand and Mrs. Karofsky?" Quinn asked rhetorically. "None, there is no difference, and bringing it up doesn't do any good to anyone" the blonde was getting work up and Santana sighed before shaking her head at her best friend.

"If anyone finds out about this, word would get out pretty quick and you'd be _the_ _player_ of town. You know that."

"But nobody knows" Quinn was fast to clear that up. "Just you and Puck"

"And _Julie_"

"But she won't say anything"

"I'm just saying. Sleeping with a cougar wasn't your best idea Q."

By the way that Quinn sighed and dropped her head on the pillow Santana knew that on some level Quinn regretted it but what was done, was done.

"I was just curious" she said before lying next to the blonde again.

"What should I do?" Quinn asked, her voice barely audible and Santana's mind immediately went over each and every little thing about Quinn that she absolutely loved. There was her nerdy side that included glasses, an endless collection of literature and poetry; her obsessives when it came to something she didn't know much about but when it was presented to her she had to know everything there was to it and her competitive nature that always made her a winner. There was of course the physical aspect that couldn't be missed -because Quinn was gorgeous- but more than that, there was her mind, the way she spoke and the way she thought, and that was Santana's favorite part of her ex.

"Start with little things" she said after a moment and then she sat up and began planning.

…

When Rachel agreed to meet her in the park Quinn couldn't have been more nervous or anxious. She didn't think the girl would accept her invitation and even though they both made it very clear that it wasn't a date, Quinn still felt like it was and she felt even more pressured because she needed to make a point. She needed to show Rachel the person that she was outside of school's hierarchies and the only way to do that was letting the girl know her completely.

She was supposed to have a God of War marathon with Puck in her house that afternoon, seeing that it was the first day off they had since they started the Cleaning Pool business and although she felt slightly guilty to cancel on her best friend, the idea of spending time with Rachel crossed it all out in favor.

She walked to the park, the Nikon camera Julie had given her for her birthday was safely hanging from her neck. She was thirty minutes earlier and she walked straight to the fountain -where Rachel was going to meet her- and sat on the edge of it.

Quinn had been reading the manual and even watching some tutorial videos on YouTube, reading endless tips on the internet so now she wasn't a stranger to her Nikon anymore but as she lifted it to her face she felt like a little kid all over again. She had almost forgotten how good it felt to see the world through the lent of a camera and silently thanked Santana -again- for this idea.

The first thing that caught her attention were two kids playing with a dog on the grass, it was a golden retriever puppy and the two boys looked delighted as they ran away from it. Quinn moved then and sat on the grass, lifted the camera and snapped a few experimental shots of the boys' faces. She felt alive as she moved the device from her face and looked at the real picture and she fell in love with photography all over again.

An elderly couple walked around the fountain where she had previously been holding hands and Quinn also took their picture. A loner girl sat against a tree with a book on her lap came next and then a man teaching his son how to drive a bike caught her entire attention. The emotions she got from only one man were infinite and that was her favorite part of taking pictures of people.

"What on earth are you doing?" she looked around and without even thinking about it she took a picture of an amused –and slightly confused- Rachel. "Stop that." The brunette laughed and lowered the camera from pointing to her face.

"I'm taking pictures" Quinn obviously explained, a single eyebrow shot up in amusement. "Come, sit with me" she patted the grass next to her and after rolling her eyes Rachel sat down.

"Why are you taking pictures?" the girl asked as Quinn snapped one last photo of the man raising both of his arms in the air as his son finally pedaled alone.

"Because I enjoy it" Quinn turned off the camera and focused her attention on the girl. Whatever question Rachel had about her, she was going to answer it with nothing but the truth.

"Since when?" Rachel scuffed disbelievingly.

"Since forever" the brunette raised her eyebrows and Quinn smiled easily. She was discovering that it wasn't so hard to talk to Rachel like she had originally thought it would be. "My uncle was the photographer of the town's paper nine years ago. He used to travel a lot and he was always called when something really cool or terrible happened around. He had lots of cameras and he loved to talk about them. I loved it when he came to visit because he was always carrying one and when I didn't see him in a week I made my mom take me to visit him"

"Where is he now?" Rachel asked.

"He died when I was nine"

"I'm so sorry" the brunette immediately said.

"It's alright. It happened a long time ago" Quinn was quick to assure her. "Anyway, he introduced me to photography and recently I've been trying to get back into it"

"I didn't know you like photography"

"I tried to stop liking it for a while" she confessed.

"Why?"

"My father thought that the arts are a waste of time and he made sure that I understood that from a very young age."

Rachel frowned and all Quinn could think about was how perfect the girl's profile was. She had never told that story to anyone. No one knew about her uncle Peter -her mother's only brother-, or how her father had crushed her dreams with vicious words at a vulnerable age. Quinn knew that Rachel's parents were supportive and her dad Leroy was a great man, so the girl was probably trying to wrap her mind around everything.

"What made you change your mind?" Rachel finally asked after a moment.

"Funny that you ask me that" Quinn smiled playfully. She took a deep breath suddenly growing more nervous than before. "It was you who made me realize that there is nothing wrong with following my dreams. You are so passionate about what you love" Rachel was looking at her with a blank expression and it only made Quinn feel more anxious but she didn't stutter. "You are sure and you gave me the confidence I needed to accept that I need photography in my life, and you didn't even need to speak to me directly to do that."

Rachel looked ahead, poker face still in place but Quinn could practically hear the wheels turning inside of the girl's head and so she waited patiently until Rachel looked back at her.

"Why do you want a relationship with me?" she asked. "Have you ever had one?"

"I like you Rachel. I've liked you for a while and yes, I've been in a relationship before"

"With Santana, right?" Rachel kept ignoring the length of Quinn's affections and it was starting to irritate the blonde. She needed Rachel to be able to recognize those things, she was trying.

"Yes"

"Why did you two break up? You are like best friends" Rachel asked curiously.

"She _is_ my best friend and we just didn't work out" Quinn tried to avoid discussing her past relationship but the look on Rachel's face told her differently.

"Did you cheat on her?" the question stung and Quinn swallowed down her pried and met Rachel's eyes. She wondered then if she was ever going to be able to gain her trust and if so, how?

"No, I didn't" she answered honestly.

"Can you tell me why then?" Rachel looked apologetic with her request and Quinn knew that it was hard for the girl to ask those questions, probably just as providing an answer was for her.

"She grew tired of everything" she had vowed to tell Rachel the truth and now she was second guessing that decision.

"What _is_ everything?"

"The girls in the squad, the constant gossip, the insecurity of not knowing where I was when we weren't together" her stomach was sinking with each word she spoke but Rachel didn't even flinch, as if she had been expecting that answer.

"She didn't trust you" it wasn't a question so Quinn didn't bother answering. "If your best friend didn't trust you enough to date you, how can you expect me to?"

Rachel stood up and started to walk away quickly. It took Quinn a moment but then she was chasing after the girl.

"I'm trying" she said as she blocked Rachel's path. "Even when I dated Santana, I knew that I liked you. I was just trying to get you out of my mind because you were with Finn and I had a reputation" she took a deep breath and wrap her hands around the camera to keep herself from throwing her hands around. "It was unfair, I recognize that but I would never cheat on you because even I'm not stupid enough to mess something that I've wanted to have for so long. I would never cheat on you, Rachel."

"You don't have to." Quinn stood in place as Rachel surrounded her trying to walk away again but the blonde was far from giving up just yet.

"Come on" she said, chasing after the girl and when Rachel didn't stop walking, Quinn blocked her path one more time. "Come on. I'm not bad in the dating department, am I?" she asked charmingly, making Rachel blushed a beautiful pick.

"No, you're really not" Rachel shook her head, smiling shyly as Quinn smiled wide and took a step closer.

"And I'm bad in _other_ departments either, am I?" Rachel blushed a deep red then and chocked on her own saliva as Quinn smiled naughtily.

"Quinn" Rachel sounded scandalized and it only made the blonde smile wider.

"Come on, Rach. Give me a chance and I promise to not let you down, please."

The look in Rachel eyes was imploring and the smile on Quinn's face disappeared slowly. She knew a new dejection was coming and when Rachel placed her hand on her chest and stood on her tip toes to kiss her cheek all Quinn could do was close her eyes and savored the moment. When Rachel walked away again, she didn't follow.

…


	11. A little acceptance

Hello! A couple of things before we go on to the chapter. Some of you were just so _right_ about some things, Rachel's attitude and motives to do what she's done -I've tried to clear that as much as I could here -, and Quinn's attitude as well since she _is _single. That said, I'm looking forward to read your opinions about this particular chapter. Enjoy.

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One last thing, I didn't get a chance to re-read this chapter, so if you find any errors please let me know and I'll fix them.

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**A little acceptance **

She was being a hypocrite, Rachel realized. She was punishing Quinn for a behavior that she despised and yet, a behavior that she'd adopted without even realizing. She was being a hypocrite and the anger she thought she felt towards standards was now anger that she felt towards herself.

She wasn't blind or heartless, and Quinn's efforts were absolutely sweet and thoughtful that the memory alone of what she had done in the park was making her stomach twitch uncomfortably inside of her body. The blonde didn't deserve what she'd done as Rachel didn't deserve the right to treat her the way that she had.

But it's been three days since the day in the park, maybe Quinn had believed in Rachel's rejection, maybe Rachel finally managed to break her heart even though –she had also realized- she never wanted to. Maybe she finally messed something that could have been incredible if she'd only gave it an opportunity to be.

Quinn's reputation was still the biggest reason of why she couldn't trust the girl and she was absolutely entitled to her opinion and decision but that didn't mean that she could treat her the way that she had. She had used the girl in a way that she never wanted to use anybody and it hurt to know that she could be capable of causing so much damage without even realizing it, without even think or ultimately care at one point, but she had and now she had to deal with the consequences of her careless acts.

She had known about Quinn's crush on her even before the summer began but it was almost impossible for Rachel to believe –even now- the lengths of Quinn's affections for her. She had never seen the blonde showing interest for anyone else besides Santana but those affections have always been there, before-during and after they dated, and the display of several girls in school who became disappointed with Quinn's behavior didn't help Rachel's opinion of the blonde at all. The school's cafeteria and the entire student body had been witnesses of a handful of slaps Quinn had received after a particular rough break up.

There were many girls that have been hurt by Quinn in their school and Rachel could only imagine what Santana went through when she dated her best friend for those brief months last year. Quinn's love life was already a popular pariah without the need of a girlfriend around.

So Rachel was allowed to reject the blonde, however she had never been allowed to give wings to Quinn's crush, help her to fly and then leave her alone to crush by rejecting over and over again.

"Rachel honey, are you awake?" her mother asked before opening the door to her bedroom.

"Yes, hi mom" Shelby smiled at her daughter and took in her bedroom. Even though her child had changed a lot of things this summer she was still tidy in every sense and awake at six every morning for her daily work out. Shelby was glad her daughter's spirit was still the same.

"Santana and Noah are here to see you. I think your father is offering them some waffles. Why don't you go downstairs and have breakfast with them? I have to go to the office in a few and your dad is coming with me"

"Alright, thank you, mom" if Shelby noticed the way her daughter's eyes widen in surprise she didn't comment on it.

Santana had never been friendly with Rachel, not in high school and certainly not outside of it so if she was in her house on a Saturday morning it must be something of high importance and Rachel knew exactly what that was, only she wasn't sure she wanted to discuss it with the fiery brunette. But Noah was also there, she hoped that he could serve as a mediator.

As she descended the stairs she could hear her father's laugh mixing with Noah's, her father always liked the boy almost as much as he liked Quinn.

"There she is" her father exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. Leroy kissed her cheek and hugged her tight before letting go. "Waffles and pancakes, vegan of course" he winked and then turned to his wife.

"Okay, I'm ready. We'll be back in a few" Shelby announced before she also kissed her daughter's cheek and before Rachel could utter a work they were gone and she was left with Quinn's two best friends sitting on the table eating breakfast.

"Close your mouth Berry, they're gone" Santana said and Rachel finally broke her stare from the closed door and smiled at her two… _guests?_

"Isn't this a nice surprise" she lowly said before serving herself juice and joining them at the table where Puck was devouring a pancake without shame.

"We need to talk" he spoke through a mouthful and both, Rachel and Santana scrunched up their faces in disgust.

"Swallow first, prison break" Santana rolled her eyes as Rachel grew nervous.

"What can I do for you?" Rachel politely asked.

"For _us_ nothing" Santana quickly clarified. "But for our girl you can do a lot."

Silence followed Santana's sentence for some very long seconds. Rachel knew that she didn't own Santana or Puck any kind of explanation for her actions whatsoever, she also understood their concern or whatever protectiveness they were feeling at the moment –they were Quinn's best friends after all- but she knew very well that she did own Quinn the truth and if the two persons in front of her could help her figure some things out, then she wasn't going to oppose to that.

"Santana" she cleared her throat and clasped her hands together on top of the table. "I understand…"

"No! You don't understand anything at all!" Santana yelled but she didn't get the response she was expecting. Rachel didn't look surprised by her outburst, she looked… chastised, like she was expecting it.

"Santana, I understand why you're here" she tried again.

"You had no right" the brunette spat bitterly, her eyes turning a little watery as she spoke. "I didn't come here to beg you to love my friend and I certainly didn't come here to convince you that she's a good person because if you haven't realized that yet then you're honestly fucking blind. I came here to give you a lesson in how you treat people, okay?" it was obvious that she didn't expect an answer so Rachel simply stayed silent. "When someone shows you that they care, you don't step on their emotions and ignore their efforts to make themselves notice, you might not know what you're missing if you don't give them a chance"

"Santana, this is not what we…" Puck tried but one look from the girl shut him up at once. He shrugged at Rachel's direction. He tried.

"When you don't like someone you have to be clear because playing with them just shows how much of a little insecure girl you are beneath the cracking surface" Rachel swallowed her pried and took a deep breath, she was going to let Santana finish no matter how many more blows came her way. "You don't give them hope to crash it later with the big hand of indifference, that's not something that you do because it's fucking wrong and it hurts when you get a taste to realize later that that was all you were ever going to get. The worst thing that can do to a person is leading them on with knowing well that you're not willing to give in."

Rachel had realized of this over the last three days, she had comprehended what she had done to Quinn but hearing it from Santana's mouth was making it all more real, almost tangible and she was right, it hurt and it hurt so much worse than she ever thought possible.

"You knew it was different" Santana continued, her tone softer now. "You knew it because I am sure that she told you. So, you had no right."

Rachel didn't say anything, her eyes fixed Santana's as both girls tried to breathe calmly. "You might think I'm a hypocrite for telling you this right now but you're wrong if you think that you're the first one hearing this little speech about leading people on."

Rachel understood what the cheerio was saying perfectly and suddenly she realized how wrong she had been about this trio all along and she was barely scratching the surface of who they really were. She always thought of them as the most insensitive people she could ever cross paths with but Quinn had been showing her the complete opposite for weeks and here was Santana –and Puck- showing how much they cared for their friend. It wasn't shallow, _they_ weren't shallow like she had believed for so long.

"You're not wrong" Rachel finally said. "But you're not right either. I know _now_ what I've done and it has nothing to do with your little speech. I've done my own thinking these last couple of days and I'm not proud of my actions"

"Fucking understatement of the year" Santana huffed in annoyance.

"Let her talk" Puck frowned and then turned her attention back to Rachel. "Just… let her talk"

"I don't have to explain myself to you, just like Quinn doesn't own me any explanations for her actions either" she took a deep breath and met two pairs of dark eyes before relaxing back in her chair. "However, _I_ own her an apology but that has nothing to do with you coming here."

Puck looked pleased with that out coming, if Rachel apologized to Quinn then maybe they would get to see her again. He didn't want to admit but after three days of not seeing his best friend were more than he could take. Santana, on the other hand still looked annoyed and about to burst all over again.

Rachel knew that she had no right to do what she had done, to play with Quinn's feelings the way that she had –unconsciously- done and that she needed to apologize but she wasn't sure if she wanted to give Santana and Puck any details about that.

"There are things that I need to discuss with her and only her"

"And when will you do that?" Santana asked her, her eyes showing more worry than she would have liked. "After you go on another date with some stupid jock or lesbian wannabe?"

"That's not any of your business so don't act like it is" Rachel said calmly.

"Come on, Rachel" Puck spoke softly. "We don't want in on your business, we're just worried about Quinn. After you guys met on the park we know nothing about her, I mean we know she's alright, her mom is cool enough to let us know that but we haven't seen her and…"

"Blabbermouth much!" Santana shoved him back but he only pushed her hands away, his eyes never leaving Rachel's.

"And we're just worried, we don't even want to know what went down on the park. We just want to know how to make things better, we just want to _help_ make things better for our friend."

"You haven't seen her?" Rachel asked immediately, her eyes searching their faces. Santana barely shook her head and looked away, crossing her arms above her chest as Puck met her eyes and murmured a soft _no. _

"Look, I don't really know everything that has gone down with you two and I don't want to know either. Private things are private" Puck said, he looked conflicted, like he didn't know how to say what he wanted to say but he was going to try anyway. "I've known Quinn since we were little kids and we bonded over some drawings of Dragon Ball in kinder, she's been my best friend since then and I love her to death. So if anyone knew her well enough that would be me, right?" he waited until Rachel nodded her head to continue. "She is my best friend" Santana snorted but no one acknowledged her. "And she is the greatest person I know. She is always there when I need her, helping me babysit my little sister or picking her up from her lessons after practice when she has her mom's car or she'll just ride the bus with me, she always answers her phone and comes if I ask her to, no questions and no buts. She is kind with my mom and helps her with her shopping bags when I'm not around."

Santana looked away, tightening her jaw as she glared at the wall while Rachel regretted once again what she's been doing for the past month. She had always been opposed to judge people before knowing them and she had done the exact opposite with Quinn.

"You should see her in her house, she is the best daughter anyone could ever ask for. Mrs. Judy's words not mine" he smiled and both girls allowed themselves to smile as well. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't let other people's opinions tell you what to believe. You should come to know a person by yourself and create your own opinion. That's what should matter, your opinion only."

The room fell silent when Puck was done speaking and Rachel's mind went every single encounter that she's had with Quinn. The boy was right, Rachel didn't really know Quinn at all and she's been so set on believing what everyone else said about her that she couldn't see the Quinn that was trying to get to know her better, the heart behind it all.

"You're right" Rachel said before standing up. "You're totally right." Who would have thought that Noah Puckerman would give her the last push that she needed to finally start to make things right.

…

Santana wasn't happy when Rachel practically threw her and Puck out of her house but she was touched by the whole scene, Rachel could see it even though the cheerleader was trying hard to keep an angry façade. But as Rachel drove her car to Quinn's house she couldn't ignore the way her whole body was shaking with anticipation and nervousness.

She was determined to apologize to the blonde, no matter what the outcome might be she was going to be completely honest with Quinn. Another wave of guilt washed over her at the thought of Quinn again. The girl had been nothing but honest with her since their first date and Rachel had ignored it all because of a reputation that ultimately didn't describe Quinn as a whole and that it definitely didn't determined her ability to love.

She had gone through it all the wrong way, she couldn't understand how she had messed everything up so bad when it came to Quinn and now she needed to set things straight, she needed to give them both a fresh start, a clean slate.

She parked her car in front of Quinn's house and with a deep breath she finally raised her hand and rang the bell twice. It took a minute but eventually she heard footsteps behind the closed door and then a solemn looking Judy Fabray opened the door.

"Good morning" Rachel greeted and smiled but Quinn's mother limited herself to nod.

"Hi, Rachel. What can I do for you?" her tone was contained, angered and Rachel immediately knew that Quinn didn't keep any secrets from her mother.

"I need to speak with Quinn, it's important" Rachel explained. Judy looked behind her for a while before she finally opened the door and allowed the brunette step inside. It was obvious that Judy wanted to say something to Rachel but at the end she only showed her upstairs and went back down, leaving Rachel standing in the corridor standing outside of Quinn's room, however Judy's attitude left her a bit more than confused. The woman seemed angry with her but at the same time relieved that she was there.

Taking a step closer to the white door Rachel knew she had to knock sometime soon but before she could make up her mind the same door swan open and a sleepy Quinn stood in front of her.

Rachel's eyes widen as her heart beat wildly inside her chest. Was that the first time it happened? Or was this the first time that she noticed it happened?

"Rachel" Quinn shrieked and then she coughed and cleared her throat, her hand softly rubbing her neck as she blushed a light pink.

"Hi, your mom let me in. I hope that's okay?" the brunette smiled nervously and Quinn nodded.

"Yeah, of course. You want to come in?" Rachel nodded and followed Quinn into her bedroom. The bed was made but the room wasn't exactly tidy and the blonde rushed to pick up clothes from the floor, desk and chair before throwing them in the hamper behind the door. "I wasn't expecting anyone to visit" Quinn explained as she continued to pick her shoes and putting them inside the closet.

"It's okay, I should have called anyway" Rachel took a seat on the only chair in front of Quinn's desk and stared at the nervous girl as she finally folded the blanket above her bed and combed her short hair back with a hairbrush in front of her mirror.

"It's alright. Although _I am_ surprised to see you here" Quinn admitted and took a seat in front of Rachel on the edge of her bed. The brunette looked down, she wondered if she was ever going to stop feeling guilty.

"We need to talk" she said when her eyes met Quinn's hazel ones. The blonde nodded, eager to find out what she wanted to talk about but Rachel noticed the nervousness in those eyes as well.

"If you want to make sure that I stay away then I…"

"No, Quinn" Rachel cut her off. "That's not why I'm here for"

"Okay" Quinn nodded confusedly.

"I need to apologize Quinn. I need you to forgive me because I've been awfully unfair with you" the blonde blinked but didn't say anything. "I didn't realize what I was doing in the beginning, I told myself that you couldn't like me the way you did. I thought you were someone else but I've realized so much over the last three days."

"Rachel, I'm not sure of what you're trying to say" Quinn admitted with a shake of her head as Rachel fought back the sudden urge to get closer to the girl.

"A person is layered Quinn, a person can't simply be one thing, it's impossible and unnatural" she took a deep breath and met Quinn's eyes with guilt shining in them. "I'm so sorry for judging you and pinned you as something that can't define your personality, that can't define you as a whole."

"You don't need to apologize" Quinn said softly, her eyes showing nothing but understanding now.

"I do" Rachel quickly corrected her. "I let other people's opinions to tell me how I should feel about you, how I should see you instead of making my own opinion" she allowed herself to smile softly at the memory of Puck telling her the same words passionately.

"And now you have your own opinion?" Quinn softly asked, hopeful even though she didn't want to feel that way anymore.

"Quinn" Rachel whispered her name and finally decided to get closer to the girl. Quinn's eyes followed her as she stood up and sat beside her and took her hands from her lap. "You are amazing and sweet, you are nervous and confident, you are a sweetheart and loyal, you are a friend and from what I hear a daughter that anyone would be proud to have" Quinn blushed and Rachel chuckled at the sight because it was another new thing she was seeing about the girl. "You are charming and patient, you don't give up easily and that's probably my favorite thing about you but you are also responsible and hard worker, and these things are the things that define you as a person, these things are what make you, _you_, these are the things that truly matter and I am so sorry that I couldn't see them before. I'm so sorry for letting stupid gossip tales let me define you."

Rachel's teary eyes had Quinn locked in and she didn't seem capable of looking away. Her throat bobbed up and down with all the emotions she was feeling at the moment but all she could managed in that moment was raise her hand and cup Rachel's cheek with one hand, letting her thumb caress a cheek softly.

"Rachel that's… I don't know what to say" her voice cracked, her thought weren't clear enough to put in words just yet.

"That's not all" Rachel confessed, her voice cracked even further if possible. "I didn't mean to lead you on and I was so wrong…"

"Rachel, you don't need to…"

"Please, let me tell you this. Listen, please" Rachel begged and stared deeply into Quinn's confused and begging eyes. When the blonde finally nodded, Rachel continued. "I didn't mean to lead you on but that's exactly what I did and I'm sorry for letting that happen" Quinn lowered her hand from her cheek and Rachel immediately felt the cold of the wind against her skin without Quinn's hand covering it but she needed to tell everything to Quinn.

"At first I told myself that I'd go out with you to and put an end to it but the date was perfect and I couldn't ignore it" this time it was Rachel who cupped Quinn's cheek with care. She smiled at the blonde and repeated. "The date was perfect. I loved the flower and I still have it in my room, I loved your consideration for dinner and the play we went to see later. I loved how you brought up my past and said how much you liked it, how much you liked _me_ before all the changes. I loved the conversation and everything in between and by the end of it I was so confused that I didn't know how to make it stop, how to make the _perfect_ stop and I ran from you"

"I always wondered" Quinn shrugged and both chuckled nervously at the admission.

"Listen" Rachel asked her again. "I'm not going to lie and tell you that I've planned losing my virginity to you because I'd be lying but the truth is that even then, when I still didn't know you well enough I already trusted you and although unconsciously I wanted you to have that part of me and I don't regret it Quinn." The blonde squeezed Rachel's hand and leaned closer to her. Those words meaning so much more to her than Rachel would ever know.

"I do regret however the way that I left and behave after that night and I'm sorry"

"Don't be" Quinn quickly said as a single tear finally escaped Rachel's eyes.

"All that I wanted to do was call you and talk to you, answer your calls and text you back but I convinced myself that you had done it so many times before and that I wasn't anything special"

"But you are" Rachel laughed a watery laugh because of her tears and nodded her head.

"I know" she cried harder and laughed at the same time, and Quinn was quick to catch her tears by producing a tissue from her nightstand. "I know that now because you're shown me, you've been showing me since the beginning, I was just too dumb to see it."

"You're not dumb" Quinn said, "a little bigheaded but not dumb" Rachel glared playfully as Quinn chuckled, still wiping her tears.

"I'm sorry" Rachel said seriously after a moment and Quinn lowered the tissue from her face.

"I accept your apology if you make me a deal" she smiled softly and Rachel's heart beat faster. She nodded, both curios and anxious to hear Quinn's proposal. "We start over from scratch."

"How?" Rachel asked, a deep frown about to settle on her forehead. Quinn ran her index finger on the brunette's chin before smiling a little wider and Rachel would be lying if she said she didn't find that smile lovely.

"Like this" she said before standing up and pulling Rachel to her feet as well. "I'm Quinn Fabray" she smiled, leaning her body in a little, her hands clasped behind her back and hair still a mess. Rachel smiled in comprehension and breathed in deeply. There would be no reputations to worry about, no dejections to resent, there would be nothing but a clean slate and she was definitely down with that.

"I'm Rachel Berry" she offered her hand and Quinn shook it lightly between their bodies. "Nice to meet you" the brunette smiled.

"Nice too meet you as well Rachel."

…


End file.
